River search continues after no one found in car

File photo of the Waikato River. Photo / Christine Cornege

Police are searching the Waikato River after divers found nobody in a submerged car that plunged off a Hamilton bridge last night.

The car lost control on Wairere Drive, pushed through the steel railing on Pukete Bridge and toppled into the river just before 8.30pm.

A specialist police dive squad found the car submerged at a depth of 2-3m, about 40 metres downstream, late this morning.

Waikato road policing manager Inspector Leo Tooman said the Toyota Surf was removed from the river early this afternoon.

"When the vehicle was recovered no person was found in the vehicle and as a result further searches of both the river and its banks are underway,'' he said.

Visibility in the river was poor and the current was fast, Mr Tooman said.

Police are carrying out a forensic examination of the car and are trying to track down its registered owner.

Mr Tooman said police were piecing together what happened and had spoken to five people.

"Initial indications are an east-bound vehicle on Wairere Dr, that would have been crossing the Pukete Bridge heading towards River Rd, crossed the centre line and hit a concrete barrier before rebounding onto the correct side of the road, crashing through a barrier and dropping into the Waikato River,'' he said.

One man spoken to by police last night was "pretty sure'' he saw a person escape the vehicle in the water and swim to shore but police have been unable to confirm this, Mr Tooman said.

"At the same time we haven't heard anything from anyone who has a loved one unaccounted.''

Police want to speak to anyone involved in the crash or who has information about it.

Pukete Bridge is now open to traffic after it was earlier closed for about an hour as police and Fire Service staff searched the river and banks.

The police serious crash unit was investigating.

- APNZ