Suspected DUI driver arrested after crashing into Port Hueneme canal

PORT HUENEME, Calif. (KABC) -- Crews scrambled to pull a crashed truck from a Port Hueneme canal before the next Southern California storm filled it with water.

A 23-year-old suspected drunk driver was arrested with a blood-alcohol level nearly three times above the legal limit after crashing into the canal Wednesday night.

The white Toyota Tacoma pickup truck sat nose-first where it came to a rest in the canal. Port Hueneme PD Officer Christopher Graham said the two inside the vehicle were not from the area and had just left a bar.

He said the driver was trying to make a U-turn at Channel Islands Boulevard and Patterson Road when he missed the street and went through the guardrail.

"Luckily, there are lot of citizens that saw it go over. They immediately went into the canal, which has a lot of water but not as bad as it could be. They were able to get both the driver and the passenger out of the vehicle," Graham said.

Then, the race was on to get the vehicle out of the canal before heavy rain. Graham said the area hasn't experienced major flooding yet, but the canal will get raging water.

The truck was also leaking gasoline. Crews worked with a swift water rescue team to contain the fuel before it hit the ocean.

Rescuers said it was a miracle no one was hurt in the crash.