Girl, 12, died after being sucked into drainage pipe when her family’s car was swept up in floods on her birthday
A SCHOOLGIRL was killed after being sucked into a drain when her family’s car was caught up in floods on their way home after celebrating her birthday.
Aaleya Carter, 12, was found dead on Saturday as she and her family tried to escape the downpours at 1:30am near St Louis airport.
The schoolgirl died while her mom, brother, and sister survived.
She was found in a creek near the north side of the airport.
Their car was swept off the road while they were trying to reverse to avoid the flood, cops said.
Aaleya was celebrating her birthday with her family and was on her way home from the movies.
Tanya Carter, Aaleya’s grandma, said they had to escape the car via the passenger’s side rather than the driver’s side.
She told KDSK: “I guess they didn’t know they were on top of the drainage ditch and when she got out, she slid right inside the drainage.”
Cori Bush, who represents Missouri’s first congressional district, was among those searching for the 12-year-old.
Floodwater as high as two feet was reported by drivers during the storm.
State police said: “This vehicle attempted to go in the water and attempted a u-turn and go back up Airflight road to avoid the flooded roadway.
“As they turned in the water, the current swept the vehicle off the roadway and into that concrete drain opening.”
The tragedy comes as Storm Elsa battered the East Coast and Midwest with tornadoes and flash floods.
The NWS Storm Prediction Center said there was a severe risk of thunderstorms in Missouri on Saturday.
More than 60,000 residents were left without power from Virginia up the coast to New York on Thursday, according to PowerOutage.US.
Commuters were forced to swim in subway stations and drivers were rescued from stalled cars as the storm hit New York and much of New Jersey.
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Shocking footage shows intense flooding at NYC’s 157th St. station, with people waist-deep in dirty water attempting to get onto the platform.
Some commuters were seen putting trash bags over their clothing in an attempt to hop through the floods.
Significant rainfall hit New Jersey on Thursday as Governor Phil Murphy warned residents to take the tropical storm seriously.
