Water rescue teams search for driver after car overturns into Butler County dam

OAKLAND TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A car crashed into a dam in Butler County on Thursday morning.

Emergency crews arrived on the scene at the Oneida Valley Reservoir in Oakland Township around 4:30 a.m.

According to first responders, the driver was coming down Route 38 when he crossed over the white line, then lost control — flipping the Toyota Yaris in the air multiple times and landing upside down partially in the water.

911 dispatchers told Channel 11 they didn’t find anyone in the car.

“It had flipped prior to going into the water, so it was beat up pretty good. We had to use the hydraulic tools to force the doors open to get into it,” said Oneida Valley Fire Department Chief Gary Wulff.

Oneida Valley and Unionville volunteer fire companies, along with Pennsylvania State Police, used thermal imaging to search on the ground and in the reservoir.

Two search and rescue boats spent multiple hours on the water.

“The ground was dry so it didn’t look like anybody had left the car and left water on the road exiting the vehicle, so we believed that he was still somewhere around the car,” Wulff said.

Crews left the scene of the crash around 10 a.m. Thursday.

All that remains is this paint on the guardrail — and hope from the driver’s family that he will be found.

“We’ve been in contact with the family members and nobody in the family has any contact with him either,” Wulff said.

Crews have not said if they plan to come back out and search the reservoir again.

The driver’s name has not been released.

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