UPDATE: Car recovered, but search continues for driver that went into Swift Creek Wed. morning

Police want public’s help in finding Justin McElwain, who was driving car.

La Crosse police are asking for the public’s help in helping find the driver of the car that went into Swift Creek on Wed. morning. 

Police, fire and dive teams searched for Justin S. McElwain searched the waters in and around Swift Creek for hours after the accident. The 22-year-old is 5-foot-8, 160 pounds (pictured right).

He was last seen wearing a grey t-shirt with a panda on the front, a black jacket, jeans with maroon colored and high top shoes.

If you have seen him or have any information about his location, please contact the La Crosse Police at 608-785-5962.

ORIGINAL STORY: 

The search continues for the person who drove into Swift Creek in La Crosse early Wednesday.

La Crosse police received the call around 1:45 a.m. from a friend of the person driving the car.

Apparently, that friend was following the car but got separated at a traffic light. They caught back up, only to see the car lose control going west on Jackson St. near City Brewery, and slide off the embankment into the creek.

The dive team and fire dept. retrieved the car at about 4 a.m., but it was empty.

Police believe only one person was in the car, as the search continues.

Cars have driven into the creek before. Last April, a man was apparently showing off his brand new truck with a friend he’d just met at the bar before flying off into the water.

On New Year’s Eve of 2013, another car drove into the creek off Jackson Street.

A student from Winona State was driving, and she died in that accident.