Too Many Pieces Of The 14th Pier Puzzle Don’t Fit

Day two and we have more questions than answers about what happened Saturday morning on the 14th Street pier.

Yes, we know an SUV drove through two barriers and off the end of the pier. We learned that strong ocean currents and murky water are creating problems for those trying to haul it to the surface. 

But get a load of what the police will say when they know the local news media doesn’t know how to ask follow up questions. (This is from the local newspaper):

Police have not determined who was operating the vehicle, nor do they know if anyone else was inside, according to Virginia Beach police spokesman Jude Brenya. While authorities have identified the type of vehicle, an SUV, police are not releasing the make or model to avoid causing “a panic,” he said. 

A PANIC? Seriously?

What the heck are they talking about? What kind of panic? Is this some sort of alien craft? A self-driving Tesla? A Chinese spy SUV?

Ridiculously, the newspaper mentions that a car that went into the drink 15 years ago on the Peninsula was only recently brought to the surface.

Hellooooo.

In that case, the driver escaped. There was no sense of urgency. Who cared if the car ever surfaced?

This is different. They supposedly don’t know who was driving the car and whether there were passengers. 

There’s more secrecy surrounding this submerged car than any other since Ted Kennedy drove his black Oldsmobile off a bridge and drowned Mary Jo Kopechne in 1969.

I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but too many pieces of this puzzle do not fit. Some of this is because of an uncurious press corps not asking questions and some is due to public officials who seem to have forgetten who pays their salaries and who pays for the equipment they use for rescue and recovery.

Give us the facts about this tragedy. We can handle it.

These bizarre obfuscations are not helping.

We promise not to panic.