Western Penitentiary van driven into Ohio River

PITTSBURGH — Crews worked for nearly five hours to remove a van that crashed into the Ohio River early Wednesday morning.

Emergency officials said the accident happened in Pittsburgh's Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood between the McKees Rocks and West End bridges.

According to Channel 11's news exchange partners at TribLIVE, A guard circling Western Penitentiary in the van somehow hit a bench and drove into the water at the Bob O'Connor Memorial Dock about 5 a.m., a Pittsburgh Public Works official said.

Channel 11's Lori Houy reported that the driver shattered the windshield to get out of the sinking vehicle. The guard was hospitalized in unknown condition.

No other people were in the van at the time of the crash.

River Rescue divers had to attach chains to the van, which was submerged, to remove it from the water.

WPXI