Family believes 71-year-old had medical emergency before car plunged into Reisterstown lake
REISTERSTOWN, Md. -- Loved ones of a woman who died Wednesday night after her car plunged into a Reisterstown lake believe she might have suffered a medical episode beforehand.
Officers and firefighters responding to a call of a vehicle sinking in Delight Quarry Lake in the 600 block of Quarry View Court in Reisterstown found the woman's SUV flipped over in the water, police said. Rescuers pulled her from the water but she did not survive.
Police and family members on Thursday identified the woman as 71-year-old Ella Zagranichny.
Based on a preliminary investigation, investigators believe Zagranichny was in the process of parking her Nissan Rogue when the vehicle accelerated over a curb, crashed through a fence and went down an embankment into the lake.
While the exact cause has yet to be determined, Zagranichny's son told WJZ that his family believes she might have had a medical emergency at the time.
"She was coming from the pool, which is around the corner," Vlad Zagranichny said. "She was pulling into a parking space, which is right under my parents' balcony."
He said his mother's death left in a state of "total shock and disbelief."
"Not three months ago, my grandmother passed away," he said. "She was still in the process of grieving."
Vlad Zagranichny described his mother as a selfless woman who cared deeply about her family. He said she leaves behind a husband, a son and two grandchildren.
"Unfortunately, her time was cut very short and her memory is truly a blessing," he said.
Despite his loss, Vlad Zagranichny expressed gratitude to the police and firefighters for their quick response and efforts to save his mother.
He said they "went above and beyond for our family, and absolutely beyond the call of duty."