Woman drives car into Carlsbad Lagoon allegedly while drunk

CARLSBAD (KUSI) — An underage DUI suspect allegedly abandoned her car Tuesday after it became submerged in the Agua Hedionda Lagoon in Carlsbad and was arrested nearby shortly afterward.

A caller told Carlsbad police a car veered off Carlsbad Boulevard around 2 a.m. and ended up in the lagoon about 30 feet below. The young woman who had been behind the wheel was seen escaping the wreckage before it started sinking then running off. 

Arriving officers and lifeguards confirmed no one else was in the car, according to Carlsbad police.

About 40 minutes after the crash, someone spotted a suspicious person on nearby Sequoia Avenue. Officers found a 20-year-old woman who allegedly admitted to being the driver involved in the accident and arrested her, according to police.

As of about 5:15 a.m., police, firefighters, lifeguards and tow truck operators were still working to haul the car out of the lagoon.