Posted on 03/10/2006 8:43:53 PM PST by Samwise
Several Martinsville High School students say teachers stopped their calls to 911 while a fellow student was choking, because cell phones aren't allowed on campus.
Witnesses tell police the victim was rushing to finish his lunch before leaving the cafeteria, because you can't bring food outside. That's when they say he started choking, went into cardiac arrest, and died at the hospital.
Multiple 911 calls went out from Martinsville High School.
Witnesses say Jesse Tucker choked on a hamburger. Paramedics rushed the 15 year-old freshman to the hospital, where he later died.
"It's really hard to grasp the fact that you witnessed someone's death," says one student, "It's really hard to take in."
24 Hour News 8 spoke to another student witness who also wants to remain anonymous. He says one of his friends tried to call 911 with his cell phone, but just as he reached an operator, he says a teacher closed his phone saying cell phones aren't allowed on campus.
"She just closed his phone. She didn't do much to help the situation. She was panicky, she didn't go to the nurse's office," says one of the students.
Martinsville Police Chief Frans Hollanders says the investigation is still in preliminary stages, and at this point, investigators aren't pointing fingers.
"We've heard rumors to such an effect, that a cell phone was slapped out of a kids hand," Hollanders says, "We haven't been able to determine that at all whatsoever."
School officicals wouldn't talk on camera, but we caught up with an assistant superintendent and he issued this statement, "We are still in shock. We do believe the teacher did everything she could in the situation."
The police chief is encouraging witnesses to share their stories with investigators.
24 Hour News 8 did speak to Jesse's father Friday night. Understandably, he says he's still in shock and just wants to know exactly what happened.
An autopsy is scheduled for Saturday morning.
Prayers for his family.
And no one used Heimlich?
There are school rules agains hugging.
ping
Oh God...how tragic. Prayers for his soul and prayers for his heartbroken family. I just can't imagine.
Give me a break. Isn't there anyone on that campus that has a Medic First Aid certification?
Prayers for the family.
The teacher didn't cause the student to choke because cellular telephones aren't allowed on campus. At the same time, the kid should have been more forceful and just yelled, "Mrs. Jones, I'm calling 9-1-1 because that guy is choking over there. Please give him the Heimlich Maneuver while I call."
~ Blue Jays ~
Ping
Very sad.
Apparently, the only "rule" the teachers knew was that cell 'phones were not allowed ... no common sense there ... poor kid ... stupid teachers ...criminal negligence.
I'm pretty sure no teacher in their right mind would slap a phone out of a student's hand.
Rules RULE!
Damn.
Witnesses tell police the victim was rushing to finish his lunch before leaving the cafeteria, because you can't bring food outside. That's when they say he started choking, went into cardiac arrest, and died at the hospital.
Good thing there are some reasonable, modest, common-sense, do-it-for-the-children regulations in place at this institution. People's lives depend on it!!
Shouldn't teachers be required to be trained in that kind of basic first aid? In a situation like that, there's no time to go for help.
I thought Heimlich and CPR posters were required to be posted in all facilities that provide food.
This is beyond belief!
Yes, I'm a Red Cross/USAF-trained first aid instructor -- and I know that CPR is basically worth little until Heimlich is used to clear the airway...
I think that teacher needs some serious going-over. Nothing more than an irresponsible bureaucrat who prizes rules over lives.
Right. No touching the children in a life-threatening situation...but one on one "sex ed",well, that's a different story!! How very sad.
Somewhere along the way the old "Zero Tolerance" excuse is going to be trotted out...
~ Blue Jays ~
I was just reading this one, too. What a terrible tragedy.
I don't know how much of this is true and how much isn't. I just think the whole thing is so tragic and senseless. Poor kid. Poor family.
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