Two wrecks in the Garland canal occur within a week of each other

We realize that parking can sometimes be a problem in Powell, but the irrigation canal is no place to park vehicles.

For the second time this summer, a vehicle was found in the canal that runs through town parallel to the highway.

We doubt anyone wants to water their field with antifreeze, since it’s unlikely that would help plants survive a fall freeze.

But, in all seriousness, if a driver is so impaired that he or she ends up leaving the road, taking out trees and landing several yards off the road in the water, that’s a serious risk to the driver, potential bystanders and other drivers, as well as our local emergency response crews.

On July 29, an arrest was made on suspicion of driving while under the influence and careless driving. What was it that raised some eyebrows and had the local law enforcement questioning the driver’s sobriety? A 1968 Chevy pickup that landed in the Garland Canal across from the Maverik Country Store shortly after 10:30 p.m.

Then a week later, a similar incident occurred less than a mile upstream on the canal on Thursday.

A 21-year-old from Gillette drove his pickup into the canal sometime after 1 a.m., according to Powell Police Chief Roy Eckerdt. A city street sweeper driver spotted the truck and called it in shortly before 6 a.m.

At that time, nobody knew where the driver was, if there were passengers or other people involved. All that was known was that there was a vehicle upside down in the canal.

This is where the main problem comes into play — Response crews were searching for bodies that, thankfully, weren’t there. They later found out the alleged driver was sleeping in a nearby hotel.

“I’ve got guys in that canal at 6 in the morning trying to save that life of somebody who’s not there,” Eckerdt said. “You’ve got them (the fire department), you’ve got us, you’ve got EMS putting themselves at risk for somebody who’s not there.”

A lot of water flows through the canal, sometimes at swift speed and with plenty of drop structures along the way, making it a dangerous place to be for even the most well-prepared and well-equipped rescue crews.

It is illegal to leave the scene of an accident without reporting it to the authorities, for exactly this reason.

Failure to report an accident is a misdemeanor with fines of about $210. That’s not including any other charges that could result from the accident itself such as reckless driving, driving under the influence, destruction of property, or more.

We hope drivers will be more responsible and avoid being next in line for the Garland Canal carwash — or, at the very least, we hope they make the responsible decision to report it to the authorities, even if irresponsible choices led to their unintended parking spot.