PCPD finds body in pond after submerged vehicle crash

A dead body was found in a pond following the Plain City Police Department’s investigation into a vehicle that crashed into a retention pond off of Lafayette-Plain City Road on April 24.

The body was identified as Charlie Tona Thach, 26, of Plain City, following a water recovery operation at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

According to a press release from the Plain City Police Department, officers were investigating a single vehicle that had lost control on the road and slid into a retention pond at 4 a.m. on April 24. At the time of the crash, the vehicle was completely submerged with search and rescue operations beginning immediately.

The vehicle was pulled from the pond and was unoccupied. Dive teams from the Marysville Division of Police and Division of Fire and the Washington Township Fire Department continued searching an extensive grid pattern, but nothing further was located in the pond. PCPD continued to follow up on leads to locate the person believed to be driving the vehicle.

Later, a missing persons report was filed with the Columbus Police Department for the person involved in the crash and PCPD entered him into NCIC as a missing person. Over the next week, Plain City police officers continued working with the Marysville police and fire dive teams to strategize a search and recovery plan.

“Which proved difficult due to the water conditions and the extreme limited underwater visibility,” the release states. “We subsequently conducted two additional searches including a secondary dive and then using a boat equipped with sonar to search the entire pond, but did not locate any victims.”

Just before 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Plain City police officers located an object in the water that was partially submerged and partially floating. It was determined to be a body and officers immediately contacted the Pleasant Valley Joint Fire District to conduct a water recovery operation.

Once the body was recovered from the water, the Madison County Coroner’s Office was contacted and responded to the scene. The body was identified as Thach. The coroner’s office transferred Thach to the Montgomery County Medical Examiner’s Office and ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. His next of kin were notified.

The Washington Township Fire Department Dive Team conducted a final search of the pond and did not locate any additional victims. The Ohio State Highway Patrol continues to handle the accident investigation.

“We are grateful for all of our public safety partners who refused to give up in their search for locating the driver of the vehicle and any other potential victims,” the release states. “We collectively extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Charlie Thach.”