NY woman jumps out of moving car, throws phone into a bush, and disappears. One month later her body is found in the water

The corpse of Brittany Kritis-Garip was found floating in the waters of the Long Island Sound earlier this week. The tragic discovery comes after the 32-year-old went missing in March 2026 following an incident in which she jumped out of a moving vehicle and threw her phone away.

According to her husband, Fernando Garip, Brittany jumped out of a moving car and ran away. Her brother, Niko Kritis, clarified that she “hopped out [the car] unexpectedly after pulling forward after a stop sign.” She was reportedly in a panicked state when she got out of the vehicle. Following the incident she threw her mobile phone into a bush and ran away, vanishing without a trace.

For a whole month authorities and the family searched in vain for Brittany Kritis-Garip but it wasn’t until April 13 that the grim discovery was made in the Long Island Sound. In a Facebook group dedicated to searching for Brittany, her brother made a post on Wednesday to inform her friends and family of the sad news.

“The search for my sister has come to a close.” The post begins, “With heavy hearts, we share that Brittany has been found and has passed. We take comfort in knowing that God has called her into His care, and that she is now at peace.”

What happened to Brittany Kritis-Garip?

It’s still a mystery as to why Brittany jumped out of the car and threw her phone away, or why she was so panicked. At the moment the authorities have not released details regarding the case. The circumstances surrounding her death and the exact cause of death are unclear but according to an article from the New York Post, detectives believe that the cause of her death was “non-criminal in nature.”

She was last seen in Oyster Bay, New York, on March 20 which is when she jumped out of the car. What happened over the 24 days is just one of the many questions raised by this mystery. Why she left the vehicle in the first place is another big question that currently doesn’t seem to have an answer.

Regardless, the discovery of Brittany’s body has, at the very least, brought some closure to her loved ones. In his Facebook post Britanny’s brother chose to focus on the good she had brought into the world, writing, “Brittany was, and will always be, a light in the lives of everyone she met. Her warmth, kindness, and spirit left a lasting mark on so many people.”