Lawmakers call special session on death of trapped 16-year-old

CINCINNATI » Council members in Cincinnati have scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday on the death of a 16-year-old boy who called 911 twice after getting trapped by a minivan’s rear bench in his school’s parking lot.

The city’s Law and Public Safety Committee said Monday it will meet to discuss Kyle Plush’s “tragic death” and the role of the city’s emergency communications center. An agenda will be made public before the Tuesday afternoon meeting.

An operator who took one of the calls while Plush was trapped and begging for help will return to work Wednesday after being placed on administrative leave. The Cincinnati Enquirer has reported that the city’s 911 system has been plagued with problems the past few years.

Two Cincinnati police officers and a Hamilton County sheriff’s deputy searched but failed to locate him.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it’s in contact with local authorities and Honda “to understand all of the facts related to this tragic incident ... NHTSA will take appropriate action based on its review.” The vehicle was a 2004 Honda Odyssey. Honda says there had been no seat-related safety recalls for that model.

The Hamilton County prosecutor also plans to review the case. The coroner has said the youth died from asphyxiation due to “chest compression.”

Meanwhile, family members and classmates gathered Monday morning for funeral services. His father found him dead April 10 about six hours after Kyle first called 911.

His parents Ron and Jill Plush said in a statement last week that their son “embraced life with a passion far beyond his years.”

They added: “We also have questions and want answers.”

CARA OWSLEY — THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER VIA AP A minivan is removed from the parking lot near the Seven Hills School campus in Cincinnati. Cincinnati authorities are investigating the death of 16-year-old Kyle Plush, who was trapped inside the minivan.