22-Year-Old Woman Dies in Buffalo Snowstorm
A 22-year-old woman, who was trapped in her car during the unprecedented snowstorm in Buffalo, New York, is among at least 34 confirmed deaths in the city.
Anndel Taylor’s family confirmed her death and launched a GoFundMe to help pay for her final expenses.
“As you all may know one of my daughters, our sister, your friend, has passed away by accident in a blizzard that occurred in Buffalo NY December 23rd and 24th,” the fundraiser notes. “She was stuck in her car for hours/days which caused the snow to continue to build up on her car causing her to be unable to get out. We are currently trying to put Services together to say our final goodbyes.”
According to NBC News, Taylor called 911 after getting stuck in the snow on her way home from work on December 23. She sent video messages to friends and family members. In her last message, she told family members that she was going to try to sleep and walk to safety in the morning.
Her body was recovered on Christmas night when a family friend found her dead in the driver's seat of her car. “I’m good one minute, then it hits me,” her mother, Wanda Brown Steele, said.
Her stepmother, Lasheena Smith, says the family is in deep mourning. “Everywhere in the house, everybody sees her face. We still feel helpless."
Taylor moved from Charlotte, North Carolina to Buffalo in early 2020 to live with her diabetic father and finish college. She was studying business administration.
“She had plans. She was doing it," her mother said. "She got further than anybody, including myself."