A driver who ran a red light ended up crashing his vehicle into a canal. The collision occurred around 1:30 p.m. Friday at the intersection of Geer and Taylor roads and involved two vehicles. Both drivers were taken to the hospital following the crash.

Turlock Police Officer Robert Nicholas said a 51-year-old Oakdale man driving a Buick sedan, was driving southbound on Geer. According to the witnesses’ statements, the man ran a red light and struck a four-door Ford that was traveling eastbound on Taylor.

The impact sent the Buick careening off the road and over the embankment and into the canal.

The man may have sustained a broken wrist and had to be extricated from the partially submerged car by the Turlock City Fire Department.

The 65-year-old Merced woman driving the second vehicle was taken to the hospital with complaints of pain. There were no passengers in either car.

Most of the canal is at full capacity, but that particular section is less than three-fourths full.

“If the canal had been full and given his injury to his hand, he could have drowned,” Nicholas said.