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A 53-year-old woman who was killed in a flooded wash Monday morning has been identified by police as Debra Annette Williams.
Williams' car got stuck in a wash about 9:30 a.m. at Calle Betlegeux and Avenida Ursa, near East 22nd Street and South Kolb Road.
Firefighters initially had trouble finding the car in the fast-moving water, but a passerby told them it was pinned against a pedestrian bridge, Capt. Barrett Baker said in a news release. The passerby also said the car was underwater.
Firefighters were collecting their equipment for a rescue, but the water swept the car away before they could act. Firefighters could see a person was in the car as it rushed by, Baker said.
The car soon then went underwater a second time.
The water at the time was estimated to be as deep as 12 feet.
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About 30 minutes later rescuers spotted the car in Alamo Wash, near East 22nd Street and Avenida Sirio, about three blocks away. It was pinned against a concrete tunnel along with trees and other debris.
It took several minutes for firefighters to reach the car.
Williams' body was found inside.
Tucson rescue crews were busy all morning responding to water rescue emergencies in midtown, the east side and northwest side.
Tucsonans should expect showers and thunderstorms throughout the day, with some of them having the potential to produce very heavy rain in a short period of time, the National Weather Service says. In fact, a flash flood watch is in effect from 10 a.m. through midnight for all of southeast Arizona.
Late this morning, Gov. Jan Brewer declared a statewide emergency because of flooding from major storms that dropped heavy rain across Phoenix.
