Truck reported stolen ends up in Cape Coral canal

A stolen truck ended up in a Cape Coral canal late Tuesday, and police are looking for the person who escaped and fled.

It happened in the area of the 2800 block of SW 36th Terrace, around 10:20 p.m.

Police say a 2004 Toyota truck drove through a cul-de-sac, clipped the edge of a house and drove into the canal.

Investigators say the windows of the truck were down, so they believe whoever was inside was able to get out before the truck became submerged.

For those living in a nearby home, the incident sounds like the start of a bad nightmare. The couple says they were sound asleep when they heard the crash and spotted lights floating in a canal.

Mark and Katherine Umosell still can’t believe the damage around their home. The concrete slab on the edge of their house is broken, and there are tire tracks through their yard. Even their neighbor’s mailbox got knocked over.

“I could see if there was just a field at the end and them going in the water, but here the person really maneuvered pretty well for not doing more damage,” Katherine said.

“We heard a large or a loud bang and I jumped up and looked in the garage. I thought someone went through my garage door but that was fine, so I looked outside and saw all the bricks and concrete all over and trash cans knocked over,” Mark said.

“I came out here and saw the tracks leading to the water and sure enough there was a light still on in the car in the middle of the canal.”

The driver of the truck was nowhere to be found. The truck was removed from the canal and towed away Wednesday morning. Police say the owner reported the truck stolen.

“The gentleman came over, his car was stolen, and as we said last night, they did see a person run from the scene and we got that he probably swam across the canal to escape,” Katherine said.

The driver still hasn’t been located. Cape Coral police say if you know anything about the person who took it, call them at 239-574-3223.