VIDEO: The deaths of three people during flash flooding in the Ozarks this past week has once again brought attention to the potential dangers of stalled cars in rapidly rising water.
49-year-old Anette L. Mesicek was swept away by floodwaters Thursday night at the Finley River Crossing on Route Z south of Fordland while two other occupants of her vehicle survived.
That same night in Wright County, an SUV was swept about 1,000 feet downstream off the Parks Creek bridge on Highway M. Four of the six occupants survived, but 19-year-old Alex Roman-Renelli and 20-year-old Devin Holt did not.
In both deadly flash flooding events, authorities pointed to the fact that the combination of darkness and heavy rains likely made it difficult for drivers to see the rushing waters.