Update, Dec. 8: The driver's identity has been confirmed as Richard Phillips, who was an accounting student at Rutgers University in Camden. The university released a statement on Phillips' death to the campus community.

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Update, 1:00 p.m.: The 21-year-old driver was pronounced dead after his car was found submerged in Newton Creek in Collingswood this morning. 

"The Camden County Park Police, in respect to the wishes of the victim’s family, will not provide the name of the 21-year-old young man from Oaklyn...," according to a statement from Camden County spokeswoman Joyce Gabriel.

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Police removed an unidentified man from a vehicle submerged in Newton Lake just after 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Despite releasing no information on the man's condition, emergency personnel believe the vehicle entered the lake as early as 7:45 a.m. this morning—close to two hours after the man was found.

At this time, police said they do not believe any other passengers had been occupants of the vehicle.

"A call came in at 9:13 this morning that a lightpost was down, and when (EMS) came to investigate, they discovered the vehicle," said Chief of Camden County Park Police Robert Colangelo. "The identity and condition of the male (found inside the vehicle) are unknown, but he was a male in his early twenties."

Police reported that the vehicle had been sitting in a Newton Lake parking lot—that sits on Newton Lake Drive, across from the Heights of Collingswood apartment complex—before it met the water.

"From (the parking lot), the vehicle came through (park) barricades, (traveling) down the hill and into the lake," said Colangelo of the incident. "It took out a bench and a lamppost on its way."

While Collingswood Fire Department and Collingswood Police Department arrived at the scene first—after receiving a call that a lightpost was down—Newton Lake Park is county jurisdiction, and Camden County Park Police arrived shortly after.

The investigation is being handled by the county.

The older-model Ford Taurus, which emergency personnel were able to remove from the water with a tow truck in just under an hour, was two-toned; its upper body a light silver color, and its bottom painted blue.

Police said the car's driver's side window had been discovered halfway open; all other windows were closed.

"(The car was almost) fully submerged," said Colangelo. "Only the roof was visible on the water's surface."

Police said no identification for the man was recovered from the vehicle.

After fire department officials removed the man from the submerged vehicle, police said he was taken to Cooper University Hosptial's Trauma Unit in Camden, where he presently remains.

"His condition and identity are unknown at this time," said Colangelo, adding that the man's hometown is also not known.

Check back with Patch for updates to this story.

Click here to read Patch's initial coverage of the story; and view an extensive photo gallery of still images captured at the scene here.