Flash flooding claimed the lives of two people in Johnson County Friday, where emergency crews have responded to 16 separate high water rescue incidents since midnight.
“It’s closer to 30 people that were actually rescued and unfortunately, we’ve found out that we’ve had two fatalities,” said Jamie Moore, Emergency Management Director for Johnson County. “It’s very tragic and preventable.”
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office says 33-year-old Sandra Jones was driving across a bridge along County Road 913 at about midnight Friday, when her vehicle was swept away by high water.
The bridge goes over Rock Creek, which officials said was about 12 feet out of its bank at the time.
Jones’ body was recovered not far from her vehicle, which was located about a quarter mile downstream from the bridge.
“The water is serious business,” said Moore. “If you find yourself driving down the road and you see some water – and you get that little twinkling in your head thinking 'man, I wonder if I can go through that' -- that probably ought to be the key you shouldn’t even try it.”
Not long after Jones’ vehicle was swept away, crews were called out to an area along FM 917, between Mesquite and English Trail, where a pickup truck was carried off the road by flood waters.
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The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office says three men were inside the truck. Two of them escaped, but 48-year-old Jose Vargas did not. His body was found just after 10:00 a.m. about 300 yards downstream.
“I couldn’t sleep last night,” said Amy Serrano, who witnessed the incident. “I saw the man. I saw the man trying to get out the window. And he didn’t make it.”
Serrano and her family came across the flooded road on their way to Arlington, but pulled over fearing the water was too high. She watched as the truck drifted into a creek.
“It started spinning into the water and then the water covered it completely,” said Serrano. “Then we lost sight of it.”
Moments later, they heard a whistling sound. One of the men who escaped had grabbed onto a tree and was trying to get their attention. They alerted the police who were on scene and helped them communicate with the man, who did not speak English.
Crews found the second man further downstream.
“The man in the tree seemed relieved,” said Serrano. “The second man they found was more scared. He was crying and he was terrified.”
Serrano says she was devastated to learn that Vargas didn’t make it.
“Right now knowing, it’s just, we couldn’t do anything,” said Serrano, with tears in her eyes. “It’s really heartbreaking.”
With more rain in the forecast Friday night, Moore is pleading with drivers not to put themselves or others in harm’s way.
“It’s just as dangerous for us to get in the water as it is for any individual driving through it,” said Moore. “So we really wanted to urge residents on Thanksgiving to think about other people.”
