PORTLAND, Ore. — Authorities have identified the driver found in a submerged vehicle in the Columbia River four days after witnesses said a southbound driver lost control on the Glenn L. Jackson Memorial Bridge and went over the guardrail on Interstate 205.
Portland police confirmed that the body of Antonio Amaro-Lopez, 57, was found inside the vehicle.
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) dive team located the vehicle Wednesday afternoon. The sheriff's office tweeted at 3:33 p.m. Wednesday that they were preparing to dive into the river after spotting "an object that resembles a vehicle" at the base of the bridge.
Amaro-Lopez's body was later recovered. Plans to recover the vehicle are underway, police said.
Police said the crash happened late Sunday afternoon during the tail end of a winter storm that blasted the metro area with snow and ice. Police said they believe winter weather conditions were a factor in the crash.
The MCSO River Patrol conducted sonar scans of the river Monday and Tuesday as part of their search for the vehicle.
Family members believed Amaro-Lopez was the victim of the crash. They said he was likely heading from his work in Vancouver to his home in Southeast Portland when the crash took place.
He worked for his family's restaurant, Amaro's Table, which has locations in Vancouver and Hazel Dell. Amaro-Lopez is a husband and father to three daughters.