Woman critically injured after crashing car into Baltimore's Inner Harbor

A woman is in critical condition after her car plunged into Baltimore's Inner Harbor Tuesday night, police said.

Police, firefighters and a dive team were called to the harbor between Piers 4 and 5, near the National Aquarium, just after 6 p.m.

Kalsang Dolker, a tourist visiting from New York, told WJZ-TV's media partner The Baltimore Banner that she saw the car about 30 feet off the dock, slowly sinking.

Dolker said another witness told her the car was speeding before it "flew off the pier" on the aquarium side of the harbor and plunged into the water, which was about 53 degrees at the time of the crash.  

She said the car's windows were tinted and the trunk was above the waterline, but she never saw anyone escape. Dolker told The Banner that within about three minutes, the trunk popped open as the car sank.

The driver, who has not been identified, was rushed to a hospital. It's not clear yet how long she was underwater. The car was pulled out of the harbor shortly after 9 p.m.

No other information is available at this point in the investigation.

Bodies recovered from Inner Harbor in 2025

There have been other recent instances where bodies have been pulled out of the Inner Harbor.

Earlier this month, officers responded to reports of a body in the water in the 400 block of Light Street. A man was recovered from the water and was pronounced dead.

Last summer, police officers discovered a van in the water during a training activity near the National Aquarium. After the van was removed, a body was found inside.

According to police, the Honda minivan had a logo for the Silver Taxi Cab Service of Waldorf, and it had been missing since 2014. Police were unsure how long the van had been submerged.

However, based on the condition of the vehicle and the body, the police estimated that it had been submerged for several years. The vehicle was covered in dirt and had broken windows.