Two killed after car falls into Oakland County lake in Michigan

Two people died after their vehicle fell into an Oakland County lake, Pontiac, Michigan.

Deputies, the dive team for the sheriff’s office, and Waterford firefighters got to know about the incident at 6:50 p.m. Tuesday to the 200 block of South Merrimac on a report that a car was submerged in Terry Lake.

A caller informed officials he heard a vehicle accelerate, observed it become airborne, and then land in the lake. He also informed dispatchers that the car was sinking. It was entirely submerged when officials arrived.

The dive team tracked down the vehicle in about 25 feet of water and at the bottom of the lake. 

A tow truck recovered the vehicle and officials discovered two people inside, police said.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office revealed the identities of the victims as Robert Grandberry, 69, and Cathy Grandberry, 67. The autopsy revealed their cause of death was drowning.

“There are indications the driver, Mr. Grandberry, may have had a medical issue prior to going into the lake,” said the sheriff’s office said.

According to the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center, about 314,377 car crashes took place in Michigan in 2019, of which 985 crashes were fatal.