82-year-old dies when her car plunges from fifth story of parking deck, officials say

An 82-year-old woman was found dead in an upside-down car after it plunged five stories off a parking deck, Alabama officials said.

Janette Daniels Johnson of Hoover was in her car on Dec. 14 when it fell from the parking garage at Birmingham’s Grandview Medical Center, according to the Jefferson County coroner.

The car flipped and ended up on its roof, Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service said in a news release.

Rescuers received a call about a person trapped in a wrecked car about 8:20 a.m., but when they arrived, they realized the woman was dead, fire officials said.

She died of injuries from the fall, according to the coroner.

Cables and concrete barriers in the parking garage are supposed to prevent this kind of incident from occurring, Birmingham Fire Battalion Chief Clay Hendon told media outlets.

Johnson was the only person in the car, Hendon said.

The exact circumstances surrounding the fall are unclear. The Birmingham Police Department is investigating.

“We thank the many officers and workers from our local police, fire and EMS services for their assistance and quick response to an accident on our campus this morning,” Grandview Medical Center said in a statement obtained by WBMA.