MT. WASHINGTON (WKRC) – Hundreds stood in line for hours in the rain Sunday waiting to enter TP White & Sons Funeral Home to attend the visitation of 16-year-old Kyle Plush. While so many questions about the teenager’s death remain unanswered, support for the Plush wasn’t lacking as the visitation lasted nearly two hours after it was scheduled to end.
Plush was found dead inside his van on Tuesday night in the parking lot of the Seven Hills School District Resale Store, across the street from the high school.
Plush was crushed by the third row seat and suffocated.
The Cincinnati Police Department, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and the Hamilton County Prosecutors Office have all launched investigations in the wake of the tragedy.
Hours before he was found dead, Plush called 911 more than once.
911 call taker Amber Smith says she couldn't hear Plush on the line calling for help and that her computer was freezing up at the time of the call. Smith was placed on administrative leave but is expected to return to work later this week.
In the 911 calls, Plush can be heard on the call asking for help and describing his location and van. He later goes on to says he doesn't have much time left and he wants his mother to know he loves her if he dies.
Two Cincinnati Police officers looked for plush for 10 minutes at Seven Hills School before returning to other runs.
Since his death a memorial with flowers, stuffed animals and painted rocks with messages have been placed in the parking where plush died.
Shortly before Sunday’s visitation Seven Hills School District released the following statement:
The Seven Hills School community is mourning the loss of one of our students, who passed away on Tuesday in a tragic accident.
We are all grieving the loss of this beloved member of our school family — a young person of keen intelligence, good humor, great courage—and we feel this loss profoundly.
The school’s counseling staff, assisted by outside grief counselors, are providing ongoing support to our community, our students and their families, as well as our faculty and staff.
There is an ongoing investigation, and we are working with authorities in any way we can. Accordingly, we cannot comment further.
We are all deeply grateful for the support our school family has received from the Greater Cincinnati community.
Funeral services for Kyle Plush will take place on Monday, April 16th.
