Woman sucked into storm drain lands in Passaic River

PASSAIC, N.J. (AP) - A New Jersey woman survived a harrowing mile-long ride through a storm drain after flash floods swept her and her car into the drainage system.

Passaic Fire Chief Patrick Trentacost said Nathalia Bruno, of Newark, attempted to drive through deep and fast-moving water dumped by a powerful storm on July 6 when her car began to fill with water and float.

Bruno, 24, escaped from her vehicle before it filled with water but was pulled into a brook that runs beneath Passaic, the North Jersey Herald reported.

Rutherford Police Chief John Russo said Bruno eventually was “shot out” of the drain into the Passaic River and swam across to the other side of the river.

“She was stunned,” Russo said. “She was out of it. In shock. She really didn’t know what happened to her.”

Bruno was taken to a hospital for treatment but was not seriously injured.