A white Nissan Maxima ended up at the bottom of the Threemile River after a high-speed crash in Taunton, Massachusetts, leaving 24-year-old Alec Ardita dead and authorities searching for a possible second person who may have been inside the vehicle.
The frightening incident happened around 10:15 p.m. Monday, November 9, 2026, near North Walker and Winthrop streets. Taunton police received a 911 call reporting that a vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed in the area.
According to authorities, the driver struck a utility pole and a guardrail before the vehicle left the roadway and plunged into the river. Emergency crews rushed to the scene and began searching the water for the vehicle and its occupants.
Their search eventually led them to a submerged white Nissan Maxima. Inside the vehicle, rescuers found one occupant, later identified as 24-year-old Alec Ardita of Taunton. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
However, investigators soon faced another troubling possibility. Information gathered during the investigation indicated that a second person was likely inside the vehicle when it crashed. That raised concerns that another occupant could still be somewhere beneath the water.
Rescue crews continued searching the area, but conditions in the river became increasingly difficult as the night wore on. The Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council dive team eventually suspended its underwater operation because of the worsening water conditions.
Officials said the search would resume during daylight hours Tuesday, November 10. At the time of the latest report, authorities had not publicly confirmed the identity or recovery of a second occupant.
The crash remains under investigation, and officials have not released further details about what caused the vehicle to leave the roadway. Investigators are still working to establish exactly what happened before the Nissan struck the utility pole and guardrail.
For now, the crash has left one family mourning the death of a 24-year-old man and rescue teams facing the difficult task of determining whether another person was also lost in the river. The search for answers continues.