An individual who is currently enrolled in college feels grateful to be alive after being caught in a tornado while driving the previous week.
On Friday, May 16, Mya Grimes, who was on her way to St. Louis, the city where she was born, was thrown out of her vehicle by a tornado that roared through the city. Grimes was a rising senior at Jackson State University in Mississippi.
At the very moment when the college student, who was twenty years old at the time, was going to arrive at her residence, the storm caught up with her.
She gave the publication the following statement: “I really thought that was my last moment.”
Grimes claims that the tornado was responsible for the windows of her vehicle breaking and the door on the driver’s side of the vehicle opening. Despite the fact that she asserted that she was wearing a seat belt, she was nonetheless ejected from the vehicle and “slid down the street forty yards.”
Before the storm reached the student, she reportedly had a conversation with her father, who warned her to be cautious but to return home if it was possible to do so. This information was reported by the local station KMOV. At the same time, she attempted to get in touch with her mother, Tina Grimes, but her phone was unplugged.
The statement that Tina made to the publication was as follows: “When I answered the phone, I just wasn’t prepared for what I heard on the other end.” When she asked her daughter what was going on, her daughter responded, “It’s taking me.” This caused her mother to feel a great deal of fear.
“My car started spinning in circles and spinning in circles, and I was just literally terrified and holding on to my steering wheel for dear life,” Mya said in an interview with KSDK, which is an NBC affiliate. “As soon as the door opened, I sprinted out of my vehicle.”
It was reported by the pupil that she was able to maintain her grip on a light post despite the persistent gusts.
Mya’s bravery as an athlete and student leader “in the face of this storm is truly inspiring,” Dr. Denise Jones Gregory, the interim president of Jackson State University, said in an interview with People magazine.
Gregory expressed his happiness by saying, “When I spoke with Mya the following morning, I was extremely grateful to hear her voice.” At Jackson State, we are a family, and we will continue to support her as she recovers and tells her story. We will continue to stand with her.”
The paramedic that Mya was able to flag down later advised her that she was “lucky to be alive,” as stated in the post that she made on Instagram about her “near-death experience.”
With pictures of the damage to her vehicle, Mya said, “I have gashes from the glass and sliding down the street.” She also included accompanying images. In spite of sustaining a few small wounds, she was, fortunately, unhurt in every other respect.
After that, she continued by stating that as a consequence of the catastrophe, she now believes that “any moment could be our last.”
According to the National Weather Service, an EF3 tornado made landfall in Clayton, Missouri, on May 16, and then continued on to penetrate the northern districts of St. Louis. Wind speeds of up to 152 miles per hour were attained by the wind.
