Anna Schimpf was visiting her friend at UB when she crashed her white SUV into South Lake, the body of water adjacent to South Lake Village on UB's North Campus, at approximately 7 p.m. Sunday. The 18-year-old from Wayne County opened her car door and swam to safety.
University Police Department (UPD) Lieutenant David Urbanek was on the scene and said she was 100 percent all right. She was not transported to the hospital. Schimpf did not lose control of her car or spin out but drove straight into the lake.
"For whatever reason, she continued across the lawn through the guardwire adjacent to the pole and into the water," Urbanek said. "The person is not injured. She opened the door, got out and is not injured - just wet."
Cold-water divers were on scene to pull the vehicle out of the water.
"Her speed from the video is way too fast for that turn," said UPD Lieutenant Joshua Sticht.
The speed limit on St. Rita's Lane, the road adjacent to South Lake, is 15 miles per hour.
"That low speed limit was set mostly because there are so many pedestrians, bicyclists, children in proximity to the bike path," Urbanek said. "That's why the speed limit is so low. There are no signs of any intoxication or use of any substances whatsoever."
The Getzville Fire Department was on scene, along an environmental health and safety unit to look at the environmental impact of any fluids that may have leaked into the waterway.
"Thank goodness we were alerted to this by students in South Lake Village," Urbanek said. "We can't say how thankful [we are]. This could have been a tragedy. We're still putting the whole thing together."
Schimpf was issued tickets for speeding, unsafe lane change and ignoring a traffic control device on campus. She will attend Amherst Town Court in the coming week.
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