Found Deceased CA - Kiely Rodni missing from Party Near Prosser Family Campground in Truckee #7

[JerseyWasHome2]

I assume those back seats fold down. Has anything been stated about whether they were down or up? Since the vehicle was upside down, if they had been folded down previously, then due to gravity I would think they'd be dangling down (which, if the car was upright, would be in their normal "up" position).

 

[tayaway]

One of the rear door windows (left??) was rolled down. Why not go out of there instead of trying to swim to the back for the last air pocket? eta: Whether the right front window was broken or rolled down, why not get out that way too? Why go all the way to the back when there are 2 open window options closer to the driver seat? eta: Wouldn't it be easier and quicker to get out of an open window and swim up to the surface than to struggle to get to the back for an air pocket?

 

[Beekarina]

I did this same thing. First i rotated it to be nose down, as it would be the first major "flip" - water would be pouring in the front passenger window (if it was down like it was in the recovery video) as she tried to climb to the back, where she would find more water pouring in on the driver's side back seat window - so water coming at her from both sides as she climbs to the back. She could've gotten her face/head/upper body into the cargo area before/during/after the car turtles, trying to keep out of the water - maybe she thought she could pop the back hatch? Didn't someone say her car would have a button in the back to open it?

Anyway, i definitely feel like she very well could have moved herself from the driver's seat to where she was located finally.
This would also explain why the Diver Nick said he could see shoes from the side windows, but didn't actually see visible body parts until he got to the back window and wiped it off - maybe only her upper body was in the back and her torso/legs were sticking out towards the front.

Just me speculating!

Yes,I'm one who mentioned the manual hatch release and linked a video. I thought the same initially, but then I am trying to reconcile the passenger window, which was either broken out or rolled completely down when Diver Nick found the CRV, so I think we can safely assume it was down when Kiely would have been trying to exit the vehicle?

I need to learn more about body gases and floating. I'm not 100% on how that works, so I defer to the group there.

What isn't sitting right with me: If Kiely was driving, the passenger window was fully out/down when AWP found her CRV. It seems pretty safe to assume it would have been same if/when Kiely tried to escape, right? So she would have had two windows close to her, one full down, and another partially down, but large enough for her to fit through, and instead she went for the cargo area?

Also, if her remains were not restrained in the driver's seat, was it luck/coincidence that she was found in the vehicle at all with multiple open windows? Especially the front window being fully down? I don't mean to be gruesome. I just thought about why she would float to the rear of the vehicle and remain there? Would the fact that she was found in the cargo area indicate she put herself there?

I found it interesting how many small items are still visible in her vehicle with open windows too. I would imagine LE went back down and cleared the bottom after the CRV was removed? Maybe that is what the area we saw taped off and all wondered about was for?

 

[franker]

In Hondas, the driver's seat belt must be buckled for the engine to start. IIRC, the system is sophisticated enough that the belt must be re-buckled -- you can't just leave it buckled and tight to the seat back. IDK if you can just re-buckle it behind you every time?

There was an ongoing issue with CR-Vs, the seat belt return would pull the buckle up only part way. Then, when the driver shuts the driver's door, the buckle hits a sensor that gives you the "headlights are on" warning. Don't ask me how I know -- but Mr. Laughing had to come jump start the 2007 CR-V several times before we Googled the right words & replaced the sensor. This was a 5-speed, we also push-started her a couple times. A friend had a 2012 with the same sensor problem -- makes sense to me that our Kiely ended up with a dead battery at this party.

Is @franker our Honda tech???

jmho ymmv lrr

No, but I did have a 2011 Honda and it would start without the seatbelts buckled. It was a Civic, not a CR-V, but it also had seatbelt retraction issues.

I now have a 2022 Hyundai Kona and you can start it without the seatbelts buckled.

 

[Beekarina]

The NYP's photo would not have show the window BEFORE LE pulled it out, they shot the photo AFTER it was pulled out. The window was broken in the process of retrieving it. I can't easily look for myself since no link to the article was in your post.

I can get it for you. I thought everyone had it since it has been linked so many times. Brb.

Edited to add: Here you go. And for clarity, the NY post did not have a video/image prior to retrieval. That would be AWP's video which shows an intact driver's window.

Divers find body and overturned car in search of missing California teen Kiely Rodni

Divers searching for missing California teen Kiely Rodni said they have discovered a body and car in the reservoir near where she was last seen more than two weeks ago.

nypost.com

Edit #2: shards of glass

 

[Sundog]

Although @Sundog, from your excellent experiment ^^^, we don't know if the middle rear seat headrest was up or not in KR's car when it went into the water. If the rear headrest was up, per your research it sounds like it would be near impossible for someone alive or dead to get into the hatch area from the front or back seats of the car.

I agree, if the rear middle headrest was up, then it would be hard for a person to get into the cargo area, either alive or not. But I should also note that I don't know if many people extend the middle headrest to a higher position. In fact, before I did this experiment today, I didn't even know that the middle headrest could be extended to a higher position. But once raised to the higher position, I found it a little difficult to lower it again, I had to find the button/mechanism to press to lower it back down. I suspect most people leave it lowered and don't mess with it and leave it in the same position as it was in when they buy/acquire their car.

 

[SteveP]

One of the rear door windows (left??) was rolled down. Why not go out of there instead of trying to swim to the back for the last air pocket? eta: Whether the right front window was broken or rolled down, why not get out that way too? Why go all the way to the back when there are 2 open window options closer to the driver seat? eta: Wouldn't it be easier and quicker to get out of an open window and swim up to the surface than to struggle to get to the back for an air pocket?

I think we are thinking logically, but when someone is panicking, I'm not sure logic always prevails. People asking why she didn't go out this window, or that window are probably not considering that Kiely, if conscious, and panicked, was probably trying to flee the incoming water, and trying desperately to get to the back, that may have still been dry and had air, rather than trying to swim out the very open windows that had water rushing in at that time. JMO

 

[PhoneJockey]

One of the rear door windows (left??) was rolled down. Why not go out of there instead of trying to swim to the back for the last air pocket? eta: Whether the right front window was broken or rolled down, why not get out that way too? Why go all the way to the back when there are 2 open window options closer to the driver seat? eta: Wouldn't it be easier and quicker to get out of an open window and swim up to the surface than to struggle to get to the back for an air pocket?

Watch some of the vehicle sinking videos - the water rushing in the windows is doing so at a great force - enough to hold a car door shut or push a tiny girl back. It's not like swimming in a calm pool.

 

[Sundog]

I assume those back seats fold down. Has anything been stated about whether they were down or up? Since the vehicle was upside down, if they had been folded down previously, then due to gravity I would think they'd be dangling down (which, if the car was upright, would be in their normal "up" position).

I think we are all assuming that the back seats were not folded down, since there were people gathering in the car at the party for various reasons as they partied. I don't think the position of the car (being upside-down) would make the seats dangle down, as they are locked into place when positioned upright, and also locked into place when positioned in folded-down position. Changing the position requires pushing and pulling on various mechanisms, it isn't that easy to do.

 

[Beekarina]

I wish we knew, with certainty, if that passenger's side window was BROKEN (out? in?), or rolled down.

If it was rolled down, I feel more like it was possibly rolled down to equalize the back window, fresh air on a drive at night, I dunno? Still weird one front window would be all the way down, and the driver's window all the way up, but....?

If the passenger window glass was *broken out*? Who, when, how, why? Did Diver Nick see glass?

 

[Gemmie]

I can get it for you. I thought everyone had it since it has been linked so many times. Brb.

Edited to add: Here you go. And for clarity, the NY post did not have a video/image prior to retrieval. That would be AWP's video which shows an intact driver's window.

Divers find body and overturned car in search of missing California teen Kiely Rodni

Divers searching for missing California teen Kiely Rodni said they have discovered a body and car in the reservoir near where she was last seen more than two weeks ago.

nypost.com

Edit #2: shards of glassView attachment 363723

Thanks! I didn't look for it myself because there likely are multiple NYP posts here. I wanted to make sure I was looking at exactly what you were referencing. I guessed it was this but I like to be 100% sure. Not being sure can throw things off the tracks.

So yeah, their pic is after the window was broken to retrieve it. Thanks for posting!

 

[Gemmie]

I think we are thinking logically, but when someone is panicking, I'm not sure logic always prevails. People asking why she didn't go out this window, or that window are probably not considering that Kiely, if conscious, and panicked, was probably trying to flee the incoming water, and trying desperately to get to the back, that may have still been dry and had air, rather than trying to swim out the very open windows that had water rushing in at that time. JMO

Very true! I linked an old post of mine upthread that told my story of rolling down a freeway on ramp. I wasn't hurt but boy was I NOT thinking straight. To summarize.... I was going to climb out the window BEFORE I even tried the door. The door worked. Glad I tried that first! It would have been terrible to survive the crash just to have the car roll over on me because I wasn't thinking straight and exited through the window. The other thing that didn't make sense to anyone thinking logically was I found one dancing shoe and it was the most important thing in the world for me to save. ONE shoe. I carried that back up the incline with me. I didn't even look for my purse. Now THAT'S not thinking straight!

To add... I wasn't panicking, but I for darn sure wasn't thinking straight. And I was totally straight. No drugs or booze. I don't believe that was the case with Kiely. MOO.

So back to me thinking about exiting through the window... I just thought of this. If that's what I tried to do (not taking the easy way out of the car, and instead almost opting for the hard way out)... perhaps that could be what happened to Kiely. In her shock she wasn't thinking of the BEST WAY out, she was simply reacting in a very dazed and confused state of mind, and either made the wrong choice, or perhaps she tried the easy way first but it didn't work for her. It hard to tell and all pure speculation. MOO

 

[JerseyWasHome2]

I think we are all assuming that the back seats were not folded down, since there were people gathering in the car at the party for various reasons as they partied. I don't think the position of the car (being upside-down) would make the seats dangle down, as they are locked into place when positioned upright, and also locked into place when positioned in folded-down position. Changing the position requires pushing and pulling on various mechanisms, it isn't that easy to do.

Makes sense that they'd be upright during the party. I was thinking along the lines of one of them being pulled down during the sinking, in order to have more access to crawl back there and try to get the trunk door open. But if that requires pushing and pulling on various mechanisms as you said, doesn't sound like that'd be simple to do during the event.

 

[Beekarina]

When Diver Nick notes he sees a pair of shoes, he is wiping off the rear cargo corner "window" on the driver's side. He has just made his way past the partially open rear window and finished stating he "cannot positively identify anybody inside yet" ...."I'm looking in the back now...." goes to the cargo window, touches it, and says "I see a pair of shoes..."

 

[Gemmie]

Watch some of the vehicle sinking videos - the water rushing in the windows is doing so at a great force - enough to hold a car door shut or push a tiny girl back. It's not like swimming in a calm pool.

I agree. I posted a vid upthread that showed a simulation from a sheriff's department's diving experts.

Found Deceased - CA - Kiely Rodni missing from Party Near Prosser Family Campground in Truckee #7

If kiely was indeed found in the trunk area behind the back seat and head rests (small gap} did she climb through to get out? Or was she put there by another party. Because i find it difficult to believe that she would float there given the car was upside down. If she had passed away. How...

www.websleuths.com

 

[Beekarina]

Ok, so to orient based on the AWP video, it seems she was across the rear of the cargo area, and he saw her shoes first? He moved around the rear of the hatch window, cleared part of it, then cleared the passenger side cargo "window" and confirmed Kiely was in the vehicle.

 

[Atheena]

With all the speculation of how Kiely could have reacted once in the water, has there ever been any information as to what type of swimmer Kiely was? Was she comfortable in water? I never learned how to swim and if this happened to me, I may have not even thought to remove my seat belt, because I'd just break down in a panic. If she were a good swimmer then I think she would have gone out the window and not tried to crawl to the back. JMO.

 

[Beekarina]

Makes sense that they'd be upright during the party. I was thinking along the lines of one of them being pulled down during the sinking, in order to have more access to crawl back there and try to get the trunk door open. But if that requires pushing and pulling on various mechanisms as you said, doesn't sound like that'd be simple to do during the event.

In the Honda's I have owned, I needed to open one of the rear doors and really yank on things.

I'm a few inches taller than Kiely was and abt 60 pounds heavier, for context.

 

[franker]

Watch some of the vehicle sinking videos - the water rushing in the windows is doing so at a great force - enough to hold a car door shut or push a tiny girl back. It's not like swimming in a calm pool.

That's what I was thinking.

It may have been possible to get out through a window before the water reached the window level. Once it started pouring in there was probably no chance at all. It all must have happened so quickly and possibly the first instinct would be to try to open the door which would have wasted more time as the vehicle sank deeper.

Sad, sad thing.

 

[Gemmie]

I wish we knew, with certainty, if that passenger's side window was BROKEN (out? in?), or rolled down.

If it was rolled down, I feel more like it was possibly rolled down to equalize the back window, fresh air on a drive at night, I dunno? Still weird one front window would be all the way down, and the driver's window all the way up, but....?

If the passenger window glass was *broken out*? Who, when, how, why? Did Diver Nick see glass?

The guy on the vid said "Passenger window is broken out" so it definitely wasn't rolled down. What I don't know is if he speaks literally or not. IOW, out means out (the opposite of in), but he could have simply used that term in general, and not speaking precisely. So all we really know is the passenger window is broken.