Medical Examiner: UW student who fell on campus died of blood clot in lung
Feb 7, 2019, 4:08 PM | Updated: Feb 8, 2019, 12:16 pm
KIRO 7 has confirmed with the King County Medical Examiner that the 19-year-old student who fell on campus on Wednesday died from a pulmonary embolism due to deep vein thrombosis — a blood clot in her lung.
Police originally reported that the student had fallen and hit her head, sustaining a head injury. She was rushed to Harborview Medical Center shortly after, where she passed away.
The examiner identified the victim as 19-year-old Hayley Smith.
The University of Washington Police Department said officers responded at 10:31 a.m. to an area north of the Electrical Engineering building and east of Drumheller Fountain after receiving reports of Smith’s fall.
UW Police were able to confirm Friday that Smith had not slipped as first reported.
A KIRO 7 news crew spotted “sidewalk closed” signs Wednesday afternoon in the area near where the student fell. UW police said the signs were not in place at the time of the fall and that the student did not slip and fall on a closed sidewalk.
“It’s icy in spots,” said UW senior Connor Hughes. “I think that everybody is a little devastated to hear it. It’s kind of hard to process, too.”
University of Washington spokesperson Victor Balta released this statement to KIRO 7:
This general area and other major walkways around campus were treated to create pathways with sand and de-icing salt in preparation for resuming operations Wednesday. There are areas where ice remains and we continue to urge people to avoid spots that have not been completely cleared. UWPD’s investigation is ongoing to determine the specific cause of this accident.
UW police detectives are investigating the incident. The university sent an alert to students and staff about the response on Wednesday morning.
Police said the 19-year-old student slipped and fell on a sidewalk in the area north of electrical engineering and east of Drumheller Fountain. @KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/0x4c7dkgxW
— Michael Spears (@MichaelKIRO7) February 6, 2019
University of Washington President Ana Marie Cauce tweeted the following statement:
My heart goes out to the family of the student who died as the result of a fall on campus. All of us at the University of Washington are grieving this terrible tragedy with them. Student safety is our number one priority, and UWPD is investigating the exact cause of the accident. I’ve been in touch with the student’s family and the University is doing all we can to support them in this difficult time.
