dave.watkins@waylandpost.org
Police and fire personnel were dispatched at approximately 8:15 p.m. after receiving a report that a motor vehicle had entered the river at the bridge, which carries Sherman’s Bridge Road across the town line between Wayland and Sudbury. Responders arriving on scene located the vehicle about 200 feet downstream. The driver had already exited the car and was not injured, according to a fire department release (see photo on page 1).
Initial reports of the incident suggested a dramatic water rescue, but the event was instead a vehicle recovery operation. The driver was able to escape before the Subaru became submerged, and no emergency medical transport was reported.
Fire officials deferred removal of the vehicle until daylight hours due to darkness and safety concerns. By approximately 9 a.m. on April 22, local firefighters were joined by the Massachusetts Fire District 14 Dive Rescue Team to begin recovery efforts. Crews worked for more than two hours to secure the submerged vehicle with a cable before it was pulled from the river by a tow truck.
Fire Chief Neil McPherson later described the effort as a coordinated regional response and said the vehicle was totaled. He also indicated that environmental impacts from the incident were minimal, though no detailed accounting of potential fluid containment or mitigation measures was included in the public release.
The cause of the incident was not included in the initial fire department statement but was later attributed to driver error in follow-up reporting. According to McPherson, the driver had been fishing near the riverbank and left the vehicle without properly securing it in park. When a fishing-pole alarm sounded, the driver stepped away, and the car rolled into the river.
Authorities did not release the driver’s name, age, or hometown, and no police report number, citation, or enforcement action was identified in available records. The vehicle was described only as a Subaru, with no model, year, or registration details disclosed.
The incident occurred along a stretch of Sherman’s Bridge Road that has been the subject of prior public discussion related to roadway safety, including concerns about narrow lanes, limited sightlines, and traffic speeds. However, nothing connected those broader concerns to the circumstances of this event.
Officials advised motorists to use caution in the area during the recovery operation, which temporarily affected access near the bridge. No additional public safety hazards were reported once the vehicle was removed.
