NORFOLK -- Four cars were submerged Thursday night under a railroad overpass in Ghent after storms dropped very heavy rains.
Between 21st street and 24th street on Colley Ave, firefighters had just finished making sure that people in three submerged cars were out of their cars and safe when another one drove into the high water.
"All of a sudden I hit a big puddle and I'm like oh my god and my car starts sinking," said Jason Putman, who found himself trapped in his car in about eight feet of water, "for a second there I was going to roll up my windows I didn't' know what I was going to do."
Rescue crews had just left the scene 20 minutes earlier.Fortunately Andrew Dibelardino was just passing by the area and was able to help.
"I just jumped in the water," said Dibelardino, "I ran up to his windows and told him you've got to get out of there. Everybody was telling him to just get out get out because like you're not gonna save your car."
By the time they got his windows rolled down, the firefighters arrived and were able to pull Jason out to safety.
Firefighters say the submerged cars were to be towed as soon as they could get the road open.
Meanwhile, in Virginia Beach, one of the casualties of Thursday’s flash floods included a Virginia Beach fire engine.It broke down in a flash flood at 57th and Atlantic Avenue heading to a house fire on Dawson Road.
Just like a car stalling out, the fire truck died when water flooded the engine.
The truck was at a city garage Friday morning getting checked out.
The fire department has assigned one of its seven reserve engines to the First Landing fire station on Shore Drive where the broken truck usually is housed.
