Men spot car, body

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Fatal Wreck

A male body was found floating in a West Ashley creek after a fatal wreck Thursday morning. People passing by the creek on Savannah Highway, next to Lands Inn, saw the car and then saw the body floating nearby.

West Ashley landscapers William Gammons and Blake Raines were waiting in rush-hour traffic on U.S. Highway 17 early Thursday when they noticed what looked like the top of a car sticking up out of a tidal creek.

Gammons and Raines parked the truck at the nearby Lands Inn to examine the car further. They called police about 8:30 a.m. and waited, "Then the body started floating in," Gammons said.

The men watched as a man's body floated around the creek. They called police again.

Authorities said the man died after the blue Volkswagen Beetle ran off the road and landed in the creek. Police said they have no idea how long the car, which had stolen tags, had been in the water.

Antonio Lamar Bennett, 34, of North Charleston died at the scene, Charleston County Deputy Coroner Kelly Myers said. An autopsy will be performed today to determine the cause of death.

Gammons said he grabbed a rake from the truck and tried to change the current toward them. The first officer arrived within 10 minutes of the call and waded in about ankle deep. He grabbed the body as the two men held onto him.

"The officer went in," Gammons said. "We actually held onto him so he could pull the body out of the water."

Gammons said about 8 inches of the car was visible above the waterline at first but that it became less and less visible as the tide rose.

More than 20 police officers, firefighters and paramedics answered the call but could do little until dive team members responded.

The first diver to reach the car told authorities standing on the shoreline that there appeared to be front-end damage to the vehicle and that the door was open.

Reach Andy Paras at 937-5589 or aparas@postandcourier.com.