By Matt Draper and Wil Cruz
DNAinfo Staff
UPPER WEST SIDE — Police divers plucked a woman from the Hudson River Thursday after her car smashed through a fence and plunged into the water at West 96th Street.
Rescuers initially feared more people were in the car and under water, but now believe the 42-year-old woman was alone, firefighters said.
Sources said that a note was found in the car, but the contents were not immediately clear.
The black Toyota Camry went into the river about 10 a.m., a fire official said. The Toyota was headed south on the Henry Hudson Parkway when it was involved in an accident, went the wrong way onto an on-ramp and veered into Riverside Park.
"Immediately after that, somehow, whether purposely or by accident, she came down this road at a decent clip, went through the fence and into the water," said FDNY Sgt. Dan Donoghue, pointing to a concrete path in the park.
"By the time we responded, she had somehow gotten out of the car and had floated north about two blocks."
The NYPD said detectives with the Emergency Service Unit responded from nearby Harlem. Det. Darren McNamara dived into the water and brought the victim to safety. McNamara's partner, Det. Anthony Selvaggi, pulled the two out of the river.
The victim, who was not identified, was dazed after the ordeal.
"She was very conscious, but very confused," Donoghue said.
Investigators interviewed the driver of the commercial vehicle that collided with the woman's Toyota. He was not charged, police said.
Investigators pulled the car from the water and were inspecting it.
