Father says daughter called him from sinking van

The husband of a New Jersey woman accused of driving their children into a river says one of the teens called him from the sinking van.

Jeffrey Smith tells The Associated Press his daughter then kicked out a window and was rescued by a good Samaritan.

Police say the passer-by, Darnell Taylor, also helped Smith’s wife and two of their sons get out of the car. Smith says the boys had called 911 from the submerged vehicle.

Smith says he was running errands with a fourth child Tuesday when his wife allegedly drove into the Delaware River in Florence Township. Joann Smith is charged with attempted murder.

Jeffrey Smith said Thursday that his wife has been battling mental illness for more than a decade.