Prayer service held for Ohio teen crushed to death by van seat

The Ohio teen fatally crushed by a van seat was remembered by friends and family during a prayer service for the 16-year-old Thursday night.

Kyle Jacob Plush was remembered by his former Mercy Montessori School classmates, teachers, and alumni as a creative, vibrant, and kind child during the service, WCPO reported.

The teen died Tuesday in the parking lot of Seven Hills High School when his van seat fatally crushed him after being trapped in the third row seat bench.

Plush attended Mercy Montessori from kindergarten to sixth grade, and according to principal Patty Normille, his empathy for others, love of science, and relentless positivity distinguished him as a “small guy with a big personality.”

Although he lived with spinal developmental problems and other medical issues that impeded his physical mobility, he loved sports, even participating in athletics at Seven Hills School as a member of the tennis team.

Investigators believe Plush may have been retrieving a tennis racquet from the Honda Odyssey when he became trapped inside the van, where he suffocated due to chest compression, according to WCPO.

Hamilton County prosecutors are launching an investigation to determine what happened when Plush, who made two 911 calls begging for help, was not immediately responded to and reportedly ignored by the 911 operator.

In the last moments of his life, Plush told the operator: "Tell my mom I love her."

Visitation for the teen has been scheduled from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at T.P. White & Sons Funeral Home at 2050 Beechmont Ave.

A service will follow Monday morning at St. Rose Church on Riverside Drive.

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