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A 20-year-old college student on her way home for the summer found herself fighting for her life after getting caught in a powerful storm. Mya Grimes, who just finished her junior year at Jackson State University, told KMOV St. Louis that she was just blocks away from her St. Louis home on May 16 when the sky got eerily dark and she got a phone call from her father.
My dad called me and he was like, Whatever you do like, stop what youre doing. Youre that close. Like, just get home, she said.
As she tried to make her way home, Mya called her mother, who was shocked and frightened when she heard her daughters voice say, Its taking me.
When I answered the phone, I just wasnt prepared for what I heard on the other end, Myas mom Tina Grimes told KMOV.
Unfortunately, her fathers call came too late, and in what seemed like an instant, Mya found herself in the middle of an EF-3 tornado. The powerful rain and storm winds caused trees to fall and broke her car windows. Mya was thrown from the car and down the street 40 yards, even though she was wearing her seat belt the entire time.
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, she told NBC affiliate KSDK. The door opened and I flew out of my car and flew down Union to the light pole right down there.
Once outside her car, Mya crawled down the street and found a pole to hold on to until the storm died down. She was able to get the attention of an ambulance which transported her to the hospital. Fortunately, she survived the whole ordeal with minor injuries.
Despite the damage to her car, Mya is grateful to be alive and knows the entire situation could have been a whole lot worse.
I really thought that was my last moment, she told KSDK. I just thank God I was able to survive and owe it all to him.
