Nationwide — Nyla Simmons, an 18-year-old African American teen from St. Louis, Missouri, tragically died Saturday night after falling off the roof of a moving SUV and being hit by a passing fire truck. She had been dancing on top of the vehicle moments before the accident.Police said the incident happened around 11:20 p.m. A Cadillac Escalade had stopped at a red light with Simmons reportedly on its roof. When the vehicle moved, she fell. A fire truck, responding to a call with its lights and sirens on, struck her shortly after.
Simmons was attending a friend’s prom send-off that evening. Her parents described her as a fun-loving teen who enjoyed socializing and spending time with friends. She had graduated from Parkway North High School last year and was set to begin cosmetology school at Grabber School of Hair Design on Monday.
Her parents, Everett and Letrice Simmons, said they don’t blame the teens who were with Nyla. They believe the group was just having fun and hope others can learn from what happened.
“We just wanted the best for Nyla, the incident is just tragic the way she died, but that’s what hurts the most, the way she died. Nyla was out having fun, that’s what she liked: having fun, hanging out with her friends,” her mom told KWTX.
Nyla was the youngest of five siblings. Her death left her family devastated and urged others to think twice before taking similar risks.
The investigation remains open. Authorities confirmed that all parties involved stayed at the scene and cooperated with police.