Norwich ― Firefighters rescued a man Sunday who drove his car through a street sign, a fence and then off an 8-foot-tall retaining wall, before landing at the foot of the train tracks behind the YMCA building Sunday.

Around 1:19 p.m., Norwich emergency units were dispatched to the Viaduct Parking lot for a report of a car that had driven over the embankment and possibly gone into the Thames River, Battalion Chief Marc Benjamin said.

Norwich police arrived first at the scene and confirmed that the address was 337 Main St., behind the former YMCA, Benjamin said.

When Norwich fire personnel arrived, they found an unconscious man trapped in a vehicle in an embankment at the bottom of the service wall ― on the Providence and Worcester railroad tracks, Benjamin said. The first fire companies on the scene started treating him for injuries, while additional companies stabilized the vehicle, he said.

After stabilizing the car, firefighters removed the man and hauled him back up over the embankment in 20 minutes, Benjamin said. He was transported to Backus Hospital for treatment, where he regained consciousness and is under evaluation, he said.

The railroad tracks were closed until the vehicle was removed and representatives from Providence and Worcester could evaluate the area of the tracks, Benjamin said.

Police are still investigating, Benjamin said.