Lubia Estevez,Forest Whitlock Obituary, Death; – Two women who lost their lives on Monday night when their vehicle was swept away by severe flooding in Plainfield have been named.
Lubia Estevez and Forest Whitlock were driving along Stelle Avenue around 8 p.m. when their vehicle turned, fell into a ditch, and was carried into the rapidly flowing waters of Cedar Brook beneath the bridge, as reported by a city spokeswoman. Both individuals were residents of Plainfield in their early 60s, although their precise ages were not disclosed.
A lifelong resident of the city, Estevez had been employed in the food service department of the Plainfield school district for the past 15 years, according to a GoFundMe page set up to assist with her funeral costs. The fundraiser indicated that Estevez’s husband passed away from an illness several months prior, and she has no surviving family.
On Monday, there were no other reported storm-related deaths in New Jersey, although police and firefighters conducted numerous rescues in Plainfield, North Plainfield, South Plainfield, Warren, Watchung, and Middlesex Borough.
Flash flood warnings were active during the storm. These fatalities mark the third and fourth deaths attributed to severe storms in the city this month. Earlier, two men were killed in Plainfield on July 3 when their vehicle was struck by a fallen tree on Myrtle Avenue.
“The entire community of Plainfield mourns this recent tragedy,” Mayor Adrian Mapp stated on Tuesday. “To lose four residents in such a brief period is beyond comprehension. We grieve alongside the families and are dedicated to enhancing our emergency response systems to safeguard our residents from future dangers.”
Officials reported that cleanup efforts for storm-related damage are continuing in Plainfield and other areas on Wednesday. There is a possibility of scattered storms again this evening.
