Woman’s body still missing after vehicle pulled from Ohio River in Meigs County

POMEROY, OHIO (WOWK) - A woman's body is still missing after her vehicle fell into the Ohio River in Meigs County Tuesday night. Pomeroy Police Chief Chris Pitchford says the vehicle was pulled from the scene around 6 p.m. Wednesday after crews were slowed by ice and the river's undercurrent. He tells WOWK 13 News that the woman was not in the vehicle, and public safety agencies will start another effort to locate her on Thursday. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the driver was traveling west on East Main Street in Pomeroy just before 9 p.m. Tuesday when they veered off the side of the road, striking a utility pole and continued into the Ohio River. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. A juvenile girl was rescued and taken to a local hospital. "Some first responders were able to rescue the little girl, who is now safe and sound and everything," said Pitchford. "The female driver was not able to be rescued at the time." Pitchford said it took time to get the vehicle out of the river because the ice in the river and the undercurrent were hindering the recovery efforts. "It's more difficult. It makes it more complex. You know, the ice in certain places is fairly thick, which kind of hinders first responders, diving operations, pretty much everything. And then, even the current of the water and obviously the temperature being cold, it's just been a hindrance," Pitchford said. The Meigs County Sheriff's Office, Pomeroy and Middleport Police Departments, Meigs County EMS, Pomeroy, Syracuse, Ravenswood and Little Hocking fire departments all responded. The crash remains under investigation.