Leah Manche, Illinois woman, dies as car discovered in Mississippi River

Authorities in Illinois identified a 28-year-old East Moline woman who died after her car plunged into the Mississippi River on Monday.

Leah F. Manche was declared dead at the scene by Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson after an officer saw the vehicle’s tail lights glowing at 3:30am.

The submerged vehicle was pulled to the surface to discover only Manche inside of the red Pontiac Grand Prix.

“This is an absolute tragedy for the family to go through,” Gustafson said to the press.

Police assert that the woman lost control of the vehicle and went into the river, unable to escape from inside the car.

Speed was a factor in the accident, Gustafson added.

Skid marks  and tire tracks leading down to the river were evident at the scene.

Sources close to the family confirmed to the Global Dispatch that the woman leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter and is feeling frustrated with the delay in trying to rescue the occupants of the car.

“Well, I don’t know everything, but from what I know, they didn’t try to get her out of the car right away. How long did they wait?,” the source added, asking to keep her identity confidential.

Crime Scene Tape photo/edited pic from FBI.gov