Police have identified the 21-year-old Massachusetts man who was killed when his car plunged into the ocean off Menauhant Beach in Falmouth over the weekend.
According to Falmouth police, James A. Koshivos, 21, of Grafton, died in Sunday's crash.
Falmouth first responders were called to the intersection of Central Avenue and Menauhant Road after someone spotted Koshivos' car in the water around 9:30 a.m., unsure of how long it had been there. Falmouth firefighters recovered Koshivos' body from his car, state police said.
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According to state and local police, a preliminary investigation reveals Koshivos was likely speeding while traveling south on Central Avenue before dawn when he failed to stop at a stop sign. He then crossed over Menauhant Road, crashed over an embankment, passing over Menauhant Beach and plunging into the ocean, with his vehicle ultimately landing in the water on its roof.
The Massachusetts State Police dive team was called to the scene Sunday for the submerged vehicle.
State police divers went into the water around noon, at which time Koshivos' car was 15-20 feet from shore and in about 5 feet of water. Police said the tide had been higher when the car went into the water several hours earlier.
Video from the scene showed Koshivos' car had been successfully hitched and towed out of the water later Sunday.
Falmouth residents were shocked by the fatal incident. People who live in the area told NBC10 Boston that the intersection where the crash happened is known for its sharp turn.
"Growing up in the town you know at the end of Central it turns to the right, you know to slow down because there is water," Jared Bianchi said. "And I don’t think this person knew that or was from around here and slowed down. It’s sad you know."
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Biachi said he has lived in the area for 21 years and he's never seen anyone crash their car into the water.
"It's pretty crazy, you know?" he said.
Video from the scene shows one yellow arrow sign posted in the sand, directing drivers to turn right from Central Avenue onto Menauhant Road.
"We've seen other accidents in that same location," Falmouth resident Jim Thomas said. "It's a long straight roadway. So terrible."
Massachusetts State Police referred any inquiries about Koshivos to the Cape and Islands District Attorney's Office.
The crash remains under investigation by the Falmouth Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police collision analysis and reconstruction section.
Elsewhere in Falmouth on Sunday, a person was killed in an unrelated single-vehicle crash on Route 28 northbound at Route 151.
