Stephen Ellison

Clothes Belonging to Missing Teen Driver Who Crashed Into Alameda Creek Spotted

Jayda Jenkins just graduated from high school and was attending college, hoping to become a social worker

An 18-year-old Tracy woman who crashed into the Alameda Creek near Fremont over the weekend remains missing as of Wednesday morning.

Although Jayda Jenkins is still unaccounted for, sheriff's deputies on Wednesday found clothing matching the description of what the teenager was wearing at the time of the crash, according to the Alameda County Sheriff's Department.

Recovery crews on Tuesday removed Jenkins' silver Honda Accord from the rushing water, but no body was found, according to Alameda County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Ray Kelly. A limited law enforcement-piloted search, which included air support and a rescue boat, took place on Wednesday in hopes of locating Jenkins.

Jenkins' family continued with their search, aided by community volunteers, and will join a more extensive search Saturday that will include the sheriff's volunteer search and rescue teams.

Jenkins first went missing last Saturday when she crossed the center divide on Niles Canyon Road, collided with a white Honda Accord and crashed into the creek, according to police. Jenkins likely did not survive the crash, police said.

Recovery crews on Tuesday removed a vehicle from the Alameda Creek near Fremont that belongs to an 18-year-old woman who plunged into the rushing body of water over the weekend, but no body was found. Robert Handa reports.

The vehicle, which was initially discovered upside down on Monday by one of Jenkins' family members, was pulled to the shore using wenches and cables, according to Kelly.

Jenkins' seat belt was found to be unfastened, and the car's windows were smashed out, Kelly said.

The Jenkins family, who contines to poke and prod the dense landscape up and down the creek, has not given up hope of finding the teenager alive.

"We are still dealing with the fact that we do not have our daughter ... and our sister ... and our child home," Denielle Jenkins, Jayda's mother, said Tuesday. "But we're not stopping here. We are going to search for her.

"My daughters are my life, and so I have hope that we may find her," Denielle Jenkins continued. "Maybe she's in a hospital, I'm not sure. But I'm holding out hope that we may find her."

Recovery crews on Tuesday are removing a vehicle from the Alameda Creek near Fremont belonging to an 18-year-old woman who plunged into the rushing body of water over the weekend. Bob Redell reports.

Crews were unable to commence a thorough rescue and recovery attempt until Tuesday morning because of unsafe water conditions caused by recent rain.

Local reservoirs were dammed during the search effort to help reduce the creek's water level.

While searchers waited for the high water levels to subside, drones and people walking along the creek's banks were utilized to scour the water for any signs of the vehicle and Jenkins.

"It was literally like trying to find a needle in a haystack," Kelly said Tuesday.

Rescue teams on Monday continue to search for a missing 18-year-old who crashed into the Alameda Creek near Fremont. Bob Redell reports.

During a Monday walkabout, an unusual sight in the water spotted by one of Jenkins' family members prompted authorities to launch a drone in order to get a closer view. Drone footage revealed two tires sticking out of the rushing water.

Kelly commended the family for its unrelenting search efforts.

"The family was instrumental (on Monday) in locating the anomaly in the water that turned out to be a tire," Kelly said Tuesday. "That allowed us to focus our energy on that spot. That just shows you the vigilance of the family to find their loved one."

Rescue crews on Monday believe they found the car belonging to an 18-year-old Tracy woman who went missing over the weekend after her car veered from the roadway and crashed into the Alameda Creek near Fremont. Marianne Favro reports.

Jenkins was traveling from Tracy to Menlo Park when her mother notified police that she was missing. The 18-year-old just graduated from high school and was studying psychology at William Jessup University, hoping to become a social worker.

NBC Bay Area's Robert Handa contributed to this report.

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