Megan Oxley, Paralyzed Missouri woman (from the waist down) dies trapped in hot car after running out of gas during road trip. Woman’s two young nieces who were with aunt survive.
When life gets in the way… A 36 year old paralysed Missouri woman has died after becoming trapped in hot car after running out of gas during a road trip last week. The woman’s young nieces who were traveling with her, managed to escape.
Megan Oxley, 36, had just left Kennett and was travelling south on Highway 412 on Friday before the group became trapped in temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for hours.
The aunt’s black caravan vehicle ran out of gas and her family became worried when they did not hear from her by Saturday morning
Oxley’s sister Amber Jones alerted the Dunklin County Sheriff’s Department and reported them missing. Authorities managed to track down Oxley’s location using her phone but found her dead in the driver’s seat.
The two young nieces were able to get out of hot car
Her two nieces were able to get out of the car and tried to help her out but they couldn’t due to their young age and because she is paralyzed from the waist down.
‘I just assumed that maybe she stayed with someone or maybe someone had come and got her, but no one was able to get a hold of her,’ Amber told KAIT. ‘And the next morning, we were pretty panicked, we called the cops and got them involved.’
Oxley’s phone had died by the time the sheriff’s department began its search but deputies were able to get a ping from it near County Road 522.
When they arrived, they found small footprints outside the black caravan — suggesting that the children were able to get out of the car at some point.
Oxley was found dead in the driver’s seat. Her nieces were safe and taken to hospital for treatment on heat exhaustion.
Too young to realize how much danger their aunt was in
Sheriff Bob Holder said Oxley’s nieces were too young to realize how much danger their aunt was in due to the high temperatures.
The children are now in good condition and Megan’s sister Melissa Jones is relieved her daughter is alive.
‘I am so thankful, I am so happy she is alive,’ she said. ‘I was terrified, very terrified.’
However her sister’s death has left her devastated.
‘She was just so full of life,’ Melissa said.
Posted Melissa on Facebook: ‘Life got in the way sometimes, but I never pictured my world without you. Even though you always made fun of my freckles and teased me for being younger, you were the big sister who I could always count on.
‘I’ll love you forever.’
The family has thanked everyone who was involved in the search for their sister and daughters.
