Ohio teenager Kyle Plush was declared dead six hours after he told a 911 operator to deliver a final message to his mother.
“I probably don’t have much time left, so tell my mom that I love her if I die,” a frightened Plush reportedly told a Hamilton County 911 dispatcher as he took his last breaths on Tuesday.
Advertisement
The 16-year-old was trapped by a folding backseat in his 2004 Honda Odyssey, Cincinnati’s WLWT News reported. He used voice commands to direct his cellphone to call 911.
Hamilton County Coroner Lakshmi Sammarcho ruled his death an accidental “asphyxia caused by chest compression,” reported WCPO. It is unclear when he died.
Plush reportedly become trapped while attempting to retrieve tennis equipment stored in the rear of his vehicle.
“He put a knee on the third-row bench seat and reached over the bench seat into the rear well [and] the bench seat then flipped backward,” an unnamed source told The Cincinnati Enquirer. “The force of that motion and the weight of the seat trapped Plush upside down, head in the rear well and legs in the air against the minivan’s rear door.”
Advertisement
Honda said it has no seat-related recalls for that model of the Odyssey, Autoweek reported Friday, and has not been asked by safety officials to investigate the incident.
According to WCPO in Cincinnati, the teenager’s vehicle was parked in a lot adjacent to Seven Hills School. The sophomore reportedly placed the 911 call about 3 p.m.
In the 911 call, Plush asked the dispatcher, “Send officers immediately. I’m almost dead.”
The 911 operator reportedly had a difficult time understanding the teen.
Authorities were dispatched to the scene but were unable to locate the van.
“I believe if we had a little bit clearer, more accurate information, we could have found the vehicle,” Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office spokesman David Daugherty told WCPO.
Plush’s father found the teen dead in his vehicle about 9 p.m. Tuesday, police said.
City Manager Harry Black told WLWT News that officials at the 911 center are investigating to determine whether there were “deficiencies on the part of the 911 center.”
Advertisement
“Kyle joined the Seven Hills community in the sixth grade,” the Seven Hills school said in a press release. “He was a young man of keen intelligence, good humor, and great courage, and this whole community feels this loss very deeply.”
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.