Potentially fatal car accident leaves 71-year-old unscathed
Published Feb. 5, 2008
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Columbia resident James Froece drove his car into Fairview Lake on Friday. Froece was backing out of his driveway and accelerated instead of braking.
A 71-year-old Columbia man walked away from a potentially fatal crash Friday morning, the Columbia Fire Department said.
Rollins Road was closed at the intersection of Fairview Road for about an hour while a tow truck removed his blue Volvo station wagon from Fairview Lake.
“Columbia firefighters, Columbia police and EMS units responded at 11:42 a.m. to a report of a vehicle submerged in Fairview Lake in the 2500 Block of Rollins Road,” a CFD news release stated.
The driver, James Froece, had escaped from the vehicle when the firefighters arrived. Froece crashed his vehicle into the south end of the lake.
Froece said while he was backing out of his driveway, he attempted to stop for traffic on Rollins Road, but instead he accidentally pressed the accelerator. Froece went backward across Rollins Road, through a neighbor’s yard, and backwards off a retaining wall into Fairview Lake.
The news release stated Froece showed no signs of injury and declined medical attention.