GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) - A 30-year-old Denver man died after his vehicle crashed and landed in a canal early Saturday morning in Grand Junction.

The Mesa County Coroner's Office announced Joseph Mendez was behind the wheel when his car left the roadway, went through a guardrail and landed in a canal near 649 Horizon Drive.

The vehicle was found to be upside down and submerged under the water when law enforcement arrived. A female passenger was transported to the hospital for evaluation.

Mendez was not wearing a seatbelt during the incident, and he was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to the coroner's office. The autopsy showed his cause of death was related to the crash.

The Grand Junction Police Department is overseeing the investigation.

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