(Plainfield, NJ) – We’re learning more about the tragic deaths of two New Jersey women during last week’s extreme weather. Flash flooding took place across New Jersey and in neighboring states — triggered by a sudden and severe storm.
It was one week ago when the two women – Lubia Estevez and Forest Whitlock – were killed in Plainfield New Jersey when their car was swept into a stormwater canal. This tragedy marked the fourth storm-related death in the city in less than two weeks. A state of emergency was declared.
A good Samaritan attempted to rescue the women and heard one victim scream, “I don’t want to die.”
Estevez and Whitlock were longtime friends in their early 60s, remembered for their warmth, kindness and resilience — including overcoming cancer. This tragic loss has left their community devastated.
Mayor Adrian Mapp said, “To lose four residents in such a short span of time is unimaginable,” and vowed to bolster emergency response systems.
