A Hope man was hospitalized after his overturned vehicle was discovered Tuesday morning. Judy Jackson, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson, says that deputies were called to the 5800 block of East County Road 450 North at 9:46 a.m. on a report of a vehicle that was off the road and possibly submerged.

When deputies arrived, they reported finding the vehicle along the side of the river next to a bridge. The driver, 21-year-old Tony Whittington, was conscious, but trapped inside the upside-down vehicle. The fire department, working with Bartholomew County Water Rescue and Recovery, extracted Whittington from the vehicle. He was then life-lined to Indianapolis with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries. Jackson says that investigators believe that Whittington may have been trapped inside the vehicle for about four-hours.

It is not known at this time what caused the accident, but Jackson says that a report is being forwarded to the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office for drug-related items allegedly found inside the vehicle.