51-year-old car pulled out of Griggs Reservoir near Upper Arlington

UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus Division of Police divers pulled out the mangled remains of a 1970s-era car out of a portion of the Scioto River.

Columbus police said Friday that they believe the car — pulled from the Griggs Reservoir the previous Saturday — is a 1974 Plymouth Valiant, which their dive team took “extensive measures” to preserve as much as possible while pulling it out of the Griggs Reservoir. Photos taken at the scene show the sedan was reduced to essentially just its frame and wheels, which police attributed to its time underwater. Rust permeated nearly every inch of the vehicle’s bones.

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A photo from Wikimedia Commons also showed what the Valiant would look like in better-preserved condition.

Columbus police said the Valiant may have been in the Griggs Reservoir as many as three decades. As of Friday, they did not suspect the car was linked to any crimes or missing people.

A spokesperson for the Columbus Division of Fire said crews initially went Saturday morning to the intersection of Riverside Drive and Lane Road on a call for water rescue. A fisherman using sonar initially discovered the car and called 911.

Emergency crews gathered at the intersection as a result of the call beginning around 10:30 a.m., with police cars and at least one ambulance parked in the road.

CFD’s spokesperson also confirmed no one was found in the water while they initially investigated, and CPD said no divers were hurt while pulling the car out of the reservoir.

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