FAIRMOUNT PARK (WPVI) -- A woman is dead after her SUV plunged into the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park on Tuesday afternoon.
It happened around 12 p.m. off Kelly Drive near Hunting Park Avenue.
Witnesses say the silver Volvo SUV was heading westbound down Hunting Park Avenue at a high rate of speed when it crossed Kelly Drive, smashed through a wall, then plunged into the river.
Witnesses also told police the SUV appeared to be out of control.
"There's no indication that there was any application of the brakes. But we, at this point, do not know if she had some kind of medical emergency or mechanical failure or if it was intentional," said Chief Insp. Joe Sullivan.
After roughly an hour, the SUV was pulled to the side of the river where its sole occupant, a 41-year-old woman, was removed from the vehicle.
That person, said to be an adult female, was pronounced dead at the scene.
"It landed with such an impact that it compressed the chassis of the car and divers were unable to get the doors open underwater, so we had to remove the car from the water and extricate the victim," Sullivan said.
The woman's name has not been released.