Clay County deputy rescues man from van that plunged into retention pond after crash

MIDDLEBURG, Fla. – A 57-year-old was rescued from a van submerged in a retention pond Thursday after he crashed in Middleburg.

The Florida Highway Patrol said just before 4 p.m., the man was driving south on Blanding Boulevard near the County Road 218 intersection when he veered into the right lane and sideswiped a woman and her 4-year-old child traveling in a sport utility vehicle.

The impact then caused the man to hit a light pole and run into a retention pond, where his van became submerged, the report said.

A Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputy, who is on the dive team, dove into the pond to rescue the man. The driver was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

The woman and her child were uninjured, according to the report.