Heartbreak in Niles Canyon: Empty Car Recovered

FREMONT, CA — Emergency responders flipped over a submerged car in Alameda Creek in Niles Canyon on Tuesday, then pulled the car from the rushing water. It was empty.

The recovery effort turned into a frantic search for the body of the 18-year-old Tracy woman, now identified as Jayda Jenkins, who was at the wheel when the car crashed into the water. The creek level had been lowered for the recovery effort by holding water in reservoirs. However, those reservoirs are full and water is backing up in tributaries, threatening flooding. Water managers have no choice but to release water again, starting at dark.

Family members, emergency workers and community members walked the banks of the creek, searching for the young woman. In the skies, drones, helicopters and airplanes searched from the site of the crash all the way to San Francisco Bay.

But as the sun ant and twilight turned to darkness, there was no sign of Jayda.

Alameda County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly thanked the public for being patient - acknowledging that a lot of people were inconvenienced by the road closure, as Niles Canyon Road, state highway 84, remained closed through the evening rush hour.

Later Tuesday night, Sgt. Kelly made a poignant Facebook post about the young woman and those who worked tirelessly to find her.

While the search has been suspended for the night and the water level is surging, family and first responders have not given up hope of finding Jayda and getting closure.

The ordeal began on Saturday at 10:45 a.m. when police responded to Niles Canyon Road, east of Palomares Road, where a collision had just taken place.

According to police, Jayda was driving a silver 2000 Honda Accord traveling west when her car collided with another vehicle traveling east. After the impact, the Accord veered off the road and into the creek, police said.

— Bay City News contributed to this article; Image via Alameda County