LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Saturday afternoon started off like any other day for Las Vegas ride share driver Stephanie Smeltzer, but that changed quickly.
After leaving her home near Sam's Town casino to go to Harry Reid International Airport to pick up a rider at about 1:30 p.m., Smeltzer found herself driving in a downpour.
What happened next caused her to fear for her life.
"The water started to rise and it started to come into the car," Smeltzer says. "That's when it started to scare me."
As flood waters rose rapidly — a product of a very wet monsoon season weekend in Las Vegas — Smeltzer's Chevrolet Malibu stalled out.
The electric system wasn't working, which meant that she couldn't put her windows down. And the pressure from the rushing water made it difficult to open her car door.
Near the intersection of Nellis Boulevard and Boulder Highway on Las Vegas's east side — just a short drive from her home — Smeltzer wondered if she would make it out of her vehicle alive.
"I kept pushing, but I couldn't open the door," Smeltzer says.
Thankfully, a good samaritan came to her aid, helping Smeltzer open the door. The man — Smeltzer didn't get his name — had left his nearby car after it became submerged as well.
"I'm so thankful for him," Smeltzer says. "He's my hero."
On Friday alone, Las Vegas Fire and Rescue reported that it responded to over 30 calls for vehicles stranded in water.
According to the KTNV-TV weather department, over 1 inch of rain fell in Las Vegas on Friday and Saturday.
Flooded streets caused dozens of vehicles to be stalled on valley roadways.
Rafael Kent, owner of Las Vegas Auto Repair just west of the Strip, says he got a lot of calls about vehicles being stuck in water over the weekend.
He has some simple advice for anyone who has an idea about trying to drive through obviously flooded areas.
"Make a U-turn," he says. "Go the other way and see if you can find a different route because you never know how deep the water is."
As was the case in Smeltzer's situation, however, sometimes a flooded roadway can come out of nowhere.
Now, without a vehicle to drive — it was totaled due to the water damage — Smeltzer says she's not sure what to do to earn a living.
"That's the hard part," she says. "I'm a single mom... [driving] is my income, so I'm not sure what comes next."
