Veteran, 68, Found Dead in Partially Submerged Car After Being Swept Away in Storm While Driving to Friends for Christmas

A Navy veteran was found dead inside his vehicle after it was swept away by floodwaters in Southern California.

Robert Jerry Hiller, 68, was driving to meet friends on Christmas Eve when his blue Toyota Yaris hatchback became trapped in storm conditions near East Avenue I and 50th Street East in Lancaster, according to KTLA. When his loved ones couldn’t reach him by Christmas Day, the family filed a missing persons report.

Air rescue crews later found Hiller inside his partially submerged vehicle at about 9:45 a.m. local time. He was pronounced dead at the scene, KTLA reported, citing Los Angeles County deputies.

Tim Swain, who witnessed the incident, said he saw Hiller driving just ahead of him and tried to warn him as water surged across the roadway.

“I see [the waters] and I see him driving into it and I’m flashing my headlights and high beams, like, ‘No!’” Swain told KTLA.

Swain said the car was quickly carried away by the floodwaters. He tried to locate Hiller but realized the conditions were too dangerous.

“I walk over there and I yell [out to him]. I wanted to go in there, but I knew I couldn’t because I would’ve been washed away,” Swain said. “I saw the headlights for a second and then they were gone.”

After spotting the missing persons post on social media, Swain reached out to Hiller’s family.

Hiller’s death came amid severe weather across parts of Southern California. The U.S. National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings and severe storm warnings in areas including Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara over Christmas.

In a GoFundMe created in his memory, Hiller’s niece, Mindy Mesec, called his death “a heartbreaking shock to all who loved him.”

“At 68 years old, Jerry was a proud Navy veteran who dedicated his life to service, both in the military and in his community,” Mesec wrote. She added that he had maintained more than 25 years of sobriety and was a steady presence in Alcoholics Anonymous, often offering support to others.

“With over 25 years of sobriety, he was a guiding light in the AA program, always ready to lend a hand or a listening ear to those in need,” she wrote. “His absence leaves a profound void in the lives of his family and friends.”