‘Get Right with God’: Student Miraculously Survives Being Sucked From Car by EF-3 Tornado | CBN News
The Grace Of God – Search Videos
The expression “Caught by the Grace of God” conveys a sense of gratitude or acknowledgment that something good has occurred, often unexpectedly or against the odds, and is attributed to a higher power’s favor or intervention 1. The phrase is often used in religious contexts, such as in the Bible, where it signifies redemption and salvation 2.
Nine PBS on Instagram: “The EF3 tornado that hit St. Louis on May 16 injured at least 38 people, including 20-year-old Mya Grimes. N Grimes was swept away from her car by the tornado while home for summer break from Jackson State University. Bing Videos
Jackson State University athlete Mya Grimes is known for her strength and resilience as a standout in the long jump, triple jump, and high jump. But nothing could have prepared the 20-year-old HBCU track star for the life-threatening ordeal she faced when an EF3 tornado tore through St. Louis on May 16.
Grimes, a rising senior, was driving home when powerful winds suddenly engulfed her car. “My dad called and told me to just get home. I was trying,” she said in a harrowing interview with KMOV-TV. As the storm intensified, her vehicle was tossed violently, spinning out of control before the windshield shattered. Grimes was ejected from the car, tumbling nearly 40 yards before landing near the intersection of Union and Washington.
Bloodied and disoriented, she crawled through the debris until she found a metal pole to cling to for safety. “I was just trying to make it,” she said. Miraculously, an ambulance spotted her moments later and rushed her to the hospital. She escaped with cuts and burns, but no broken bones.
Her mother, who had been on the phone when the storm struck, described the moment as terrifying. “It’s nothing short of a miracle,” she said. The family is now sharing Mya’s story as a testament to God’s grace and St. Louis’s resilience.
Grimes’s courage and survival reflect the determination she brings to the track — a true embodiment of strength both on and off the field. Her story is a powerful reminder of faith, perseverance, and the enduring spirit of HBCU student-athletes at Jackson State University.
‘A true nightmare’: College student recounts surviving EF-3 tornado after being thrown from her car
Mya Grimes didn’t know May 16th would be the day her life would change forever.
A 20-year-old sophomore at Jackson State University, Mya was just trying to make it home. Her classes were done. Her week was full. And like any college student balancing books, dreams, and destiny, she was looking forward to rest.
But heaven had already scheduled a miracle.
As she drove through the streets of St. Louis that day, the weather turned quickly. Dark skies rolled in. The atmosphere shifted. Winds picked up with a voice of their own. In what felt like moments, an EF3 tornado was upon her—screaming through the city with 152-mile-per-hour winds.
“I didn’t even see it coming,” Mya later said. “It just… happened. One moment I was driving. The next, I was fighting for my life.”
The tornado shattered her car windows. It forced the driver’s side door wide open. Though Mya was wearing her seatbelt, the storm still pulled her from the vehicle. Thrown 40 yards down the road—yes, forty—her body collided with the street, glass, and debris. Her skin was cut. Her spirit was shaken. But her soul was still anchored.
And just before she was ripped from the car, Mya did something powerful: she picked up the phone and called her mother.
Three chilling words made it through the line: “It’s taking me.”
For any mother, that call would’ve been paralyzing. For Tina Grimes, Mya’s mom, it was both heartbreaking and divine. Because although her daughter’s voice was trembling—her voice was still alive.
And somehow, Mya held on.
With adrenaline pumping and the storm still roaring, she clung to a nearby light pole—bloodied, bruised, but breathing. She doesn’t even remember how she got there. Some might call it instinct. But we call it intercession. The Holy Spirit covered what her hands couldn’t.
When first responders arrived, they were stunned. The paramedic told her, “You’re lucky to be alive.” But Mya wasn’t lucky—she was covered. Heaven had already assigned angels to surround her.
Her injuries included deep cuts from shattered glass and trauma from being dragged across pavement—but she walked away. Not just physically, but spiritually—she walked away with purpose, with power, and with a new level of praise.
“This wasn’t just a storm,” Mya shared. “It was a wake-up call. It reminded me that I have a reason to be here. I’ve got something I’m supposed to do with my life.” Bing Videos
I love this and so glad God spared her life!!! Amen!!! 
The Bigger Picture: When God Preserves the Young
Mya’s miracle isn’t just about survival—it’s about preservation. At only 20 years old, her life is now stamped with oil. What she went through should’ve taken her out. The storm should’ve silenced her. But God had another plan.
There are women twice her age still trying to find the courage to tell their story—and yet this young woman is standing in the middle of her trauma, declaring the goodness of God.
Her journey reminds us of a powerful truth: you don’t have to be old to be anointed. You don’t have to be seasoned to be selected. And you don’t have to be perfect to be protected.
She didn’t have time to pray a fancy prayer. She didn’t quote 10 scriptures. She didn’t have her oil in hand. But what she did have was a praying mama, a call on her life, and a God who was not finished with her yet.
Whether you’re 20 or 60, your survival isn’t random. You were kept for a reason. Some of you were tossed emotionally. Others were dragged through financial winds, betrayal, or burnout. But just like Mya, you didn’t break—you bent. You didn’t die—you developed.
So the next time you wonder if your story matters—remember Mya. A college student, thrown from her car by a tornado… and still here to tell the story.
The storm might’ve thrown her. But grace caught her.
College Student Caught in Dangerous Tornado on Her Way Home