The family of a woman who died Saturday afternoon when she lost control of her car and crashed into the Columbia River said she had actually recently talked to a niece about death and they were comforted by what she said.

"We had a tragic death in the family in the Chicago area and she said she didn't want to go that way, she'd rather go drowning it would be so instantaneous. So it looks like to me God's really listened to her prayers," her brother, SH Patel said.

Kanak Patel, 51, of The Dalles, was traveling westbound on I-84 near Corbett when her car plunged into the Columbia River.

Several witnesses saw the crash. Bill Jennison was traveling westbound on the interstate, when he says Patel passed him.

Car flipped into the air

"This car had flipped up into the air and turned to passengers side and it was flipping sideways," recalled Jennison.

Steve Walker and his wife Cindy were heading eastbound when they too saw the crash.

"I just seen a big explosion of dirt car parts flying everywhere," said Steve.

"I looked over and the guard rail was down to the ground," said Cindy.

Several drivers along I-84 pulled over, called 911, and then searched for survivors. But they said by the time they got to the river, the car had disappeared.

"There was debris floating in the water but we there was no sign of the car or any people or anything,” said Jennison.

Dive teams located the car about ten feet beneath the surface. Inside they found Patel’s body. Police say there were no passengers.

Investigators reconstruct crash

Crews pulled the mangled Acura TL from the river while investigators reconstructed the crash.

The carsh happened along a bend in the interstate, and authorities say speed likely played a roll.

"Witnesses did say the car was traveling over 80 miles per hour hard to judge that kind speed. It was going fast," said Lt. Jason Gates with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.

Police say the car went off the roadway into the soft gravel shoulder then flipped. The guardrail did not stop the car from going over the embankment.

Police closed down one lane of westbound traffic along I-84 Saturday night for about four hours while they investigated. They re-opened the lane about 6:15 p.m.