While on the phone with her mother, this 20-year-old university student was ripped from her car and hurled down the street — a terrifying moment that turned an ordinary drive home into a fight for survival amid a violent tornado.
On Friday, May 16, 2025, a powerful EF-3 tornado tore through St. Louis, drastically altering the life of Mya Grimes, an upcoming senior at Jackson State University. While driving along Pershing Avenue to reach home, she found herself in the direct path of the storm.
Mya, a St. Louis native, described the day to First Alert 4 as starting out normally. “It was something straight out of a movie — a true nightmare,” she said.
She noted that despite the dark skies, she pressed on, encouraged by a call from her father. “My dad called me and he was like, whatever you do like, stop what you’re doing. You’re that close. Like, just get home.”
Mya Grimes recounts her harrowing experience of surviving the tornado, as seen in a video dated May 20, 2025 | Source: YouTube/KMOVStLouis
Before she could reach safety, the weather worsened. Rain intensified, trees fell around her, and in a moment of fear, she called her mother.
Tina Grimes recalled the distressing call, “When I answered the phone, I just wasn’t prepared for what I heard on the other end. And she said Ma Ma, Ma, Ma, and just that alone…I just start saying what’s going on? She said it’s taking me. It’s taking me. It’s taking me.” The call then disconnected.
Mya’s mom, Tina Grimes, discusses the call her daughter made while driving through the tornado, as seen in a video dated May 20, 2025 | Source: YouTube/KMOVStLouis
Caught directly in the tornado’s path, Grimes recounted the terrifying moments inside her car. “My car just started spinning in circles and circles and circles, and I was holding onto my windshield or my steering wheel for like dear life, and I just was praying and just screaming. Jesus, Jesus,” she told First Alert 4.
Mya Grimes’ car which was wrecked by the tornado, as seen in a photo dated May 17, 2025 | Source: Instagram/myaagrimes
The windshield shattered, and Grimes was ejected from the vehicle. She slid an estimated 40 yards down the street near the corner of Union and Washington.
Injured but conscious, she crawled toward a light pole for safety and eventually flagged down a passing ambulance. She was transported to a hospital and later discharged with only minor injuries — cuts and burns.
On May 17, Grimes shared her experience on Instagram, describing the event as a moment of divine protection. She wrote, “i walked out of a tornado today… the tornado picked me up, spun my car atleast 10 times, threw me out of my car, my body slid 40 yards down a busy road, and i crawled to a light pole until i could flag down an ambulance [sic]…” Despite the severity of the event, she emphasized, “i’m not lucky, im BLESSED. …GOD KEPT ME [sic].”
A close-up view of Mya Grimes’ car after being wrecked by the tornado, as seen in a photo dated May 17, 2025 | Source: Instagram/myaagrimes
She reflected on the physical and emotional toll of the incident and urged others to consider the importance of spiritual grounding, writing, “PLEASE, please, get right w God. you’re not too young, too far, too imperfect, too late [sic].”
Mya’s survival is a testament to both chance and resilience. Though her car was destroyed and she sustained injuries, she walked away from the tornado with her life. The day that started as an ordinary drive now stands as a stark reminder of nature’s unpredictability — and, for Grimes, a deeply personal moment of faith.
