An 89-year-old man has died after his vehicle crashed through a barrier and into the Tennessee River early this morning, prompting an active investigation by local authorities.

At approximately 5:40 a.m. on Friday, June 19, Knoxville Police Department (KPD) officers responded to the 500 block of Neyland Drive, adjacent to Calhoun’s on the River, following reports of a Nissan truck in the water.

Before KPD’s arrival, officers from the University of Tennessee Police Department and personnel from the Knoxville Fire Department managed to pull the driver from the submerged vehicle. The driver and sole occupant was identified as Burrell Harris, 89. Despite responders attempting immediate life-saving measures on-scene, Harris was pronounced dead at the location.

According to KPD crash reconstruction investigators, it appears Harris was in the Calhoun’s parking lot when he unintentionally and rapidly reversed through the sidewalk barriers, sending the truck into the river.

The Knoxville Police Department stated that the totality of the circumstances leading up to the fatal crash remains under active investigation.