NYC Student Dies After Choking At Brooklyn School
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) - Authorities say a 21-year-old student has died after choking at a Brooklyn school.
As 1010 WINS' Sonia Rincon reported, the 21-year-old woman choked in the school cafeteria at 12:11 p.m. The student was taken to Methodist Hospital where she died, EMS told WCBS 880.
The woman was a special needs student at the School for International Studies, at 284 Baltic St. in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn.
The woman was identified as Dyasha Smith, CBS 2 reported.
Dyasha's mother, Catherine Smith, is questioning how her daughter, who has autism, could choke when she's supposed to have an aide with her at all times.
Smith says the school's vice principal told her about the choking incident but still wants an investigation.
"Why someone wasn't someone there to assist her? Why was she in this situation? It seemed like she died by herself," Smith told CBS 2.
Special Needs Student Dies After Choking At Brooklyn School
Education officials said the Special Commissioner for Investigation at the department will be looking into whether proper protocol was followed, but said EMS was notified right away.
Still, parents such as Latasha Fields, who sends her daughter to another school in the building, had questions.
"What was it that they didn't get to her fast enough?" Fields said. "If they could have gotten to the child faster, or if they could have taken care of the matter better than how it was handled."
Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina issued a statement in response to the student's death.
"I am deeply saddened to hear of this loss, and my heart goes out to the student's family and the entire school community," Farina said. "We will have guidance counselors at the school to help support the community during this tragedy."
Farina said guidance counselors were being made available at the school.
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