Owner of car found in lake is missing

By Journal Times staff

Tuesday, January 6, 2009 9:49 PM CST

KENOSHA — The registered owner of a car that drove into Lake Michigan early Sunday morning is missing, officials said.

Staci Paul, 37, of Kenosha, has not been located, according to a Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department press release. However, investigators have not been able to confirm whether she was driving the vehicle when it went into the lake. Due to unsafe conditions, law enforcement is not searching the lake at this time.

A couple found Paul’s car about noon Sunday, as they walked along Kenosha’s north pier. The car was just under the surface, about 50 feet from the end of the pier. Kenosha police, the sheriff’s and fire departments all responded to the scene, along with the county dive team.

Special towing equipment was used to get the car out of the frigid water. The vehicle was filled with ice, and no one was found inside it.

Video footage from a surveillance camera shows the vehicle speeding down the pier and veering off into the water before reaching the lighthouse. It was not possible to determine if anyone got out of the vehicle before or after it went into the lake.

Special Offer: Get 5 Weeks of the Journal Times for $7!