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© Andre Teague/Bristol Herald CourierPeople gather after news of a deceased driver was found in their car inside a sinkhole along Pleasant Grove Rd. in Bluff City broke Friday evening.
The search for a missing woman ended Friday when her body was found in a car that was stuck in a sinkhole in Bluff City, just a short distance from her home.

Nancy Echevarria, 66, was last seen late Wednesday afternoon driving a blue Chevrolet Lumina, which was found in the sinkhole on property in the 1400 block of Pleasant Grove Road, according to Sullivan County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Leslie Earhart.

"The residents could not see the vehicle while standing on their porch," Earhart said. "It's our understanding that one of the residents was walking his dog in the yard and noticed the sun glistening off something metal in the sinkhole. When he went over to check it out, that's when he found the vehicle."

The resident called 911 around 4:30 p.m. and police and rescue crews responded.

"Officers responded and upon arrival, they found a blue Chevrolet Lumina in the sinkhole with one person deceased," Earhart said.

Echevarria's son, Maylo Echevarria, said his mother dropped him off at a mechanic's garage in Bluff City and was supposed to drive to her home in the 900 block of Pleasant Grove Road, but she never arrived.

Police believe she was driving down Pleasant Grove when she appeared to have crashed off the roadway.

The sinkhole was located about 150-200 feet off the roadway and passing drivers would not have been able to see it.

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Nancy Echevarria
More than a dozen family members and friends of the missing woman also went to the scene and waited as crews retrieved the vehicle.

"There are stability issues," Earhart said. "As they were trying to get down in there, you could feel the ground moving. It's not sturdy at all. It's a tricky situation."

Before the vehicle was finally pulled out, the department's Fatal Incident Reconstruction Support Team was called to the scene and began investigating.

"They're here with a laser and they are taking measurements," Earhart said. "They're basically recreating the scene to determine what happened. At this point, it's not clear how the vehicle ended up where it is."

Echevarria's family comforted each other as investigators examined the scene and a wrecker service attempted to pull the vehicle out of the sinkhole. About four hours after the initial 911 call, the body was pulled out of the car.

Earhart said an autopsy has been requested.

Maylo Echevarria, who was at the scene, thanked the community for its support. He said he's thankful for the public's assistance in searching for his mother. Several people at the scene said they searched in the area.

After Echevarria was reported missing, police, family, friends and members of the community began searching around Bluff City.

"As soon as she was reported missing, they used a thermal imaging device to check the wooded areas, and along the river, on the route to Nancy's house," Earhart said. "That device did not show anything. This area was searched, but you cannot see the vehicle from the road. You can't even see the vehicle while standing in the yard."

Echevarria had no known medical conditions and she did not typically drive at night, the family said.