The Why:

The Who:

Date: 3/10/2014, 12:36 AM.
Fatalities: 1. Jennifer Lee Wolfe, 35 (pictured right).

Where: 28th t. North before Roosevelt Blvd, St. Petersburg, FL.
Vehicles: 2004 Honda Odyssey.

Humanity: Jennifer was married with two young sons and was a stay-at-home mother who also studied nursing.

The How: 

Jennifer was driving her Odyssey at around 12:30 home from a WalMart when she came to a turn on 28th St. North. She did not make the turn, but went straight and struck a sign post, went across lanes, and down an embankment into a retention pond. She called 911 briefly before calling her husband and informing him she had been run off the road by a separate vehicle. Her husband contacted the police, and she was found unconscious within her minivan. She was pulled from the Odyssey and taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Risk factors: Driving at night, victim of road rage?

Protective factors:

Vehicle analysis: Nothing appears to have been physically wrong with the vehicle. Jennifer stated she had been run off the road by a vehicle when she called 911. However, once she was in the water, it is unclear whether or not she attempted to exit the vehicle. In such situations, is imperative to exit a vehicle immersed in water as quickly as possible. Most vehicles will typically float for at least a few minutes before beginning to sink, depending on the impact speed and angle, as well as the configuration of the vehicle’s undercarriage. It is sadly possible that Jennifer may have panicked upon discovering her entry in the water, and focused too much on calling for help instead on removing her seat belt, if she were wearing one, and exiting the vehicle. Once a vehicle reaches a certain level of immersion, it becomes impossible to open the doors due to water pressure, and exit must be achieved either through open or broken windows or through waiting until the vehicle is fully submerged to open the doors. In the latter scenario, the odds of drowning are almost certain, as most people have begun to panic or have already given up on surviving.

Safety Gear:

While water immersions often prove fatal, they are often survivable. The presence of a safety hammer and an escape plan could have saved Jennifer’s life. Such a hammer enables the cutting of tangled or jammed seat belts and the breaking of glass, such as the windshield or door windows to facilitate exit. Of course, no amount of survival gear is of use if one does not act quickly in such a situation. The first step to do in an immersion is to exit the vehicle; calling for help can be done once one is clear of the vehicle and on land.

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