Woman strikes man, drives into Fox River in Elgin

Elgin rescuers assisted a woman Friday who struck a man while she was driving a sport utility vehicle and then drove into the Fox River by the National Street bridge, authorities said.

Police said in a Facebook post Friday afternoon they suspect it is a domestic incident.

Officers responded at 12:31 a.m. to the parking lot of Grand Victoria Casino, 250 S. Grove Ave., for a report of a man who'd sustained minor injuries after being struck by a vehicle, police said. The vehicle also had struck parked cars in the parking lot.

When officers arrived, the driver fled and drove about 50 yards down the embankment into the Fox River, which borders the parking lot, authorities said.

The fire department was called to the bridge at 12:35 a.m. and found the SUV in the river with the female driver inside, Elgin Fire Battalion Chief Terry Bruce said.

The pedestrian was taken to the hospital in an ambulance as divers launched a rescue boat to pull the woman from the vehicle. After being brought to shore, she was taken to the hospital, authorities said.

Both individuals are believed to have minor injuries, Bruce said.

"I am actually surprised because she (the driver) was in the car for a while and, with the ice, it took us a while to get to her," he said. "She was able to respond to us. She was a little combative; it might have been the hypothermia."

The case is still under investigation, police said.

• Daily Herald staff writer Lee Filas contributed to this story.