A Winslow man swam to safety Sunday after the vehicle he was driving went off Interstate 295 in West Gardiner after he apparently fell asleep.

Brandon Nale, 27, was driving a 2020 Audi sedan south on the interstate at the West Gardiner-Gardiner town line sometime before 7 a.m. when the car went into Cobbosseecontee Stream beneath the bridge, according to Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety.

Moss said in a news release later Sunday that Trooper Tom Bureau from Troop I arrived at the scene within minutes of receiving a report around 7 a.m. of the incident and was advised by a witness that the vehicle was submerged in the water and had not been seen since it crashed.

“Trooper Bureau immediately removed his duty belt and protective equipment before entering the water in an effort to rescue the driver,” Moss said. “Trooper Bureau swam about seven feet down and was able to feel the vehicle but was unable to open the door due to oil in the water.”

Bureau remained in the water for about five minutes trying to gain access before learning the driver had escaped the car and had swum to a nearby home, according to Moss.

“The preliminary investigation indicates the driver, 27-year-old Brandon Nale of Winslow fell asleep while driving,” Moss said.

The Audi left the roadway to the left, went down an embankment between guardrails, struck both a sign and concrete barrier and then went into the stream, she said.

“Nale was able to open the door and swim away before the vehicle sank,” she said.

Nale was taken to MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta with non life-threatening injuries, said Moss, who added the Maine State Police Dive Team helped to recover the car.

The left lane of I-295 was closed down for about an hour during recovery efforts, she said. Gardiner Fire & Rescue, West Gardiner Fire, Maine Department of Transportation and AC Towing assisted state police at the scene, she said.