The Nez Perce County Coroner's Office identified the person who died Sunday when their vehicle plunged into the Snake River as 72-year-old Gloria J. Heintz of Lewiston.
Coroner Joshua Hall said all of Heintz’s next of kin have been notified, allowing him to release the name. Hall attended an autopsy this morning at the Spokane County Medical Examiner's Office, which should be able to determine the cause of Heintz's death in a few weeks.
Heintz’s vehicle apparently left the Levee Bypass in Lewiston Sunday morning just north of the Interstate Bridge, went over the levee and into the Snake River. Deputies from the Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene at approximately 10:30 a.m. to assist Lewiston police and Lewiston fire and rescue, according to a sheriff’s office news release.
Lewiston police officers had already arrived and entered the water but were unable to get the driver out of the vehicle because it was sinking into the river. The Nez Perce County dive team arrived and was able to locate the vehicle and its single occupant. Heintz was removed from the river, and a wrecker towed out the newer model Acura SUV.
The sheriff’s office has subsequently taken over the investigation because the vehicle ended up in the river, outside the city limits.
