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One dead after car found submerged in canal Wednesday morning off Hwy 73 in west Jefferson County

A dive team from the Port Arthur Fire Department was called out to the scene to assist and later found a body in the car.

LA BELLE — A 28-year-old Florida man was killed Wednesday morning after his car left the highway in west Jefferson County and ended up submerged in a ditch.

Orlando Raul Ramos, whose identification showed a Florida address, was pronounced dead at the scene by Precinct Four Justice of the Peace Ray Chesson according to a news release from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Troopers were notified at about 7 a.m. about the wreck involving a Nissan passenger car along eastbound Texas 73 at Needmore Canal according to the release.

It appears that the Nissan was traveling east on Texas 73 when it struck the guardrail, went out of control and ended up in the canal the release said.

The wreck was about two miles east of Boondocks Road.

A dive team from the Port Arthur Fire Department was called out to the scene to assist and later found a body in the car.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is continuing to investigate the wreck and notify the driver's family.

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This is a developing story. We will update with more as soon as we receive confirmed information.

From the Texas Department of Public Safety...

At approximately 7:00a.m., the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) received a report of a single vehicle crash on SH 73 in Jefferson County. The crash occurred at Needmore Canal.

Initial reports indicate that a Nissan passenger vehicle was traveling eastbound on SH 73. For an unknown reason, the driver of the vehicle struck the outside guardrail and lost control. The vehicle traveled off the roadway and came to rest in the canal.

The driver, a 28-year-old man, was pronounced deceased by Justice of the Peace Ray Chesson at the scene. His identification listed a Florida address and DPS Troopers are in the process of notifying next of kin.

At this time, the outside traffic lane of SH 73 is closed. There is no time estimation as to when the roadway will reopen to traffic. Motorists should expect delays.

This investigation is the preliminary stages as Troopers work to determine the exact factors that contributed to this fatal crash.

There are no additional information available at this time.

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