(WESH/NBC) - A simple fender bender Wednesday in Brevard County ended up costing a man his life.
Witnesses say an elderly man, Robert Dreyer, accidentally hit a fire hydrant in the town of Viera.
They say Robert Dreyer seemed fine, but as soon as he stepped out of the car the ground gave way under him.
"The water pressure was so strong that it sucked him in and pulled him into the hole," said witness Pedro Rodriquez.
They say water from the fire hydrant gushed out with such force that it reached palm trees a half a block away.
Witnesses said Dreyer immediately dropped into a 5- or 6-foot hole.
"It was forcing him down while it was forcing me up," said witness Edward Cunningham.
One man who tried to help says the water pressure was so strong that the water pushed Dreyer down as it forced his 220-pound body upward.
The water was turned off in about five minutes, but not soon enough to save Dreyer's life. He died on his 89th birthday.
"This is probably the first time I've heard this happen, where somebody hits a fire hydrant, and drowns, or possibly drowns because of it," said Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Channing Taylor.
Courtesy: WESH via NBC News Channel
