ST. CATHARINES, Ont. -- Police in the Niagara Region are looking for the driver of an Audi that crashed into the Welland Canal early this morning.

Niagara Regional Police say they were called to the scene around 2:15 a.m. today and found the car had struck a tree before going into the canal in St. Catharines, Ont.

They say the canal was drained weeks ago so the car ended up in about a metre of water.

Investigators say they believe there were six people in the car, including the driver, who ran away.

All occupants were able to get out of the car on their own, but one was seriously injured and had to be taken to an out-of-town hospital.

Police say the remaining passengers were hurt but their injuries were not considered life-threatening. The passengers were all men in their 20s.

Police say the Audi was totalled in the crash.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Jan. 21, 2020.