Columbia woman killed in flood

Michelle Runkle was trying to help a stranded motorist.

By Trevor Eischen

Published Sept. 16, 2008

A Columbia woman's body was found this weekend after being swept away in floodwaters. She was attempting to help a fellow motorist escape the waters at the time of her death, a Columbia Fire Department news release stated.

On Sunday, efforts to find missing Michelle Runkle, 21, ended when two members of the Missouri State Water Patrol found her body a quarter mile south of Clark Lane on the west side of Hominy Branch Creek.

At approximately 2:53 a.m., Columbia resident Chris Crocker, 23, was driving his 1994 Ford Mustang on Clark when poor visibility caused him to drive into water that had accumulated on the road. Crocker had no initial sense of the water depth and tried to back out of the water. The vehicle lost traction and was swept off the road into the creek, the news release stated.

Meanwhile, Devan Arends, 21, of Sturgeon, and Runkle were driving eastbound on Clark and spotted the Mustang. Arends stopped the car and called 911. Runkle entered the water and attempted to swim toward Crocker's vehicle.

Crocker was able to exit his vehicle, jumping from the roof of his sinking car and clinging to the side of a temporary golf cart bridge.

Arends, while on the phone with the emergency operator, said Runkle had disappeared.

Runkle was found shortly after 5 p.m. As the floodwater receded, the search party was able to uncover more debris from the storm and Runkle's body.

The Boone County Medical Examiner's Office was called to the scene and will determine the exact cause of death, the news release stated.

At a press briefing on Sunday, officials stated that no caution or warning signs had been placed on Clark Lane near the Hominy Branch Creek. On Monday, Battalion Chief Steven Sapp issued a release stating that the Columbia Public Works Department did in fact receive a request by the Public Safety Joint Communications to place signs on the road.

Columbia Police Department officers were on the scene when the signs were put in place, but when Columbia Fire Department officials arrived at the scene following the call from Arends, the signs had been pushed from the road.