Megan Oxley: Paralyzed Missouri woman, 36, dies trapped in hot car after it ran out of gas on highway
JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI: Megan Oxley, a paralyzed woman from Missouri, died on Friday, August 25, after she got trapped in her car amid the sweltering heat as it ran out of gas on a highway.
Oxley, 36, was driving with her two nieces on Highway 412 from Kenneth, Missouri, when her vehicle came to a halt.
Her family grew concerned on not hearing from her or the children the next day.
What happened to Megan Oxley?
Oxley's sister, Amber Jones said, “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,” per KAIT.
Jones added, “And the next morning, we were pretty panicked, we called the cops and got them involved.”
Even though Oxley's phone had died, authorities tracked it to a spot near County Road 522. On arriving, they discovered footprints near the car, suggesting the children had managed to leave the vehicle.
The two children were found safe but had from heat exhaustion. Oxley was found dead in the driver's seat.
Subsequent investigations revealed that the children had attempted to help Oxley out of the car, but as she was paralyzed and due to their limited understanding of the situation, their efforts were in vain.
Sheriff Bob Holder noted that the children were too young to comprehend the severity of their aunt's predicament, especially considering the soaring temperatures exceeding 100 degrees.
Tributes pour in for Megan Oxley
The children's mothers expressed immense relief that their daughters were safe despite the ordeal.
Oxley's sister Melissa said, “I am so thankful, I am so happy she is alive. I was terrified, very terrified.”
However, Oxley's death left them shattered. Melissa said, “She was happy when I saw her last, she was smiling and talking to me. She was just so full of life.”
Jones took to Facebook to express her profound grief.
“Why do I have to live in a world where my siblings don’t? Why did they have to leave me so soon?” she wrote in a post on Saturday, August 26.
She further wrote, "My world is shattered. I am broken. I don’t know how we’re going to get through this. Megan Oxley we always promised we would be sisters and best friends."
She continued, “Life got in the way sometimes, but I never pictured my world without you."
She concluded with, "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.”