Updated: see below the fold. The college is still refusing to comment.
My deepest condolences to her family and friends, regardless of the cause of death.
A freshman at York College appeared to have died from alcohol poisoning, police said, but a spokesman for the college said it was premature to draw that conclusion.
"She was drinking at the dorm with other people, just drinking shots -- vodka -- not beer," York City Police Detective Jeffrey Spence said of Victoria Hickman, 18, of Pennsauken, N.J.
When others in the dormitory woke up Monday, they realized Hickman was not breathing and called 911, Spence said.
David Salter, the college's director of public relations, objected to the reference to drinking.
"Police officers made irresponsible statements, which may or may not be true," Salter said, adding that York College will punish any students found to have alcohol in their dormitories.
"We are a dry campus," Salter said.
Hickman's parents declined to comment Tuesday.
Toxicology test results revealed that York College student Victoria Hickman died of alcohol poisoning, according to the York County Coroner's Office.
The results came in Tuesday (January 23, 2007), office officials said.
Hickman, an 18-year-old freshman from Pennsauken, N.J., was found unresponsive at 11:44 a.m. Nov. 27 in a dorm in Laurel Hall at the campus.
Emergency workers tried to revive the student, but she was pronounced dead after arriving at York Hospital.
At the time, police classified the incident as an "unattended death" because Hickman was apparently alone at the time of death, had no medical problems and the death was not a suicide.
Hickman and friends had been drinking shots of vodka Nov. 26, York City Police said.
Lt. Ron Camacho, who supervises the city's detective bureau, said Hickman's blood-alcohol level was 0.33 percent -- more than four times Pennsylvania's legal limit for driving.
"That's an incredible amount of alcohol," Camacho said.
Uncommon cause of death: He said his detectives don't often come across fatal alcohol poisonings.
"I would say that is relatively rare," he said.
In November, York College spokesman David Salter said the college had started to conduct an internal review by interviewing the students who might have had any interaction with Hickman in the hours or days before she died.
He said college administration would wait for the results of the toxicology tests before making assumptions about alcohol.
Contacted yesterday, Salter refused to comment about Hickman's toxicology results and the status of the college's internal review.
"No comment," he said. "We covered all of that before. We have nothing new to say at this point."
Hickman's family could not be reached for comment.
Again, my most sincere condolences to the family.
College and Underage Deaths from Alcohol Overdose, 2006
Signs of Alcohol Poisoning
Alcohol
depresses nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing,
the heartbeat and the gag reflex that prevents choking. A fatal dose of
alcohol will eventually stop these functions. After the victim stops
drinking, the heart keeps beating, and the alcohol in the stomach
continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate through the system.
The victim may experience the following:
- Mental confusion, stupor, coma, unable to rouse the person
- No response to pinching the skin
- Vomiting while sleeping or unresponsive
- Seizures
- Slowed breathing (fewer than 8 breaths per minute)
- Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths)
- Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, paleness
Alcohol Poisoning Requires Immediate Medical Attention
Alcohol Poisoning Cannot Be Reversed By:
- Drinking black coffee
- Taking a cold bath or shower
- Walking it off
The victim must have immediate medical attention.
Call 911, stay with the victim to prevent him choking on vomit, and tell emergency personnel how much alcohol the victim drank.
These Children Died of Alcohol Overdose, So Their Parents Started Foundations:
Taylor Webster's memorial foundation. Taylor died of alcohol poisoning at age 19-- Now his family and friends are working to get the message out, telling their stories and providing information on alcohol poisoning and the signs and symtoms of alcohol poisoning in hopes that lives will be saved.
Bradley McCue's memorial foundation. On November 5, 1998 Bradley turned 21. . He celebrated his birthday in a way that has become increasingly popular, drinking "his age in shots". That amount of alcohol was lethal and he died that night of alcohol poisoning.
Samantha Spady's memorial foundation. A 19-year old student at Colorado State University, Spady died of alcohol poisoning on September 5, 2004, "an unintentional tragedy." The Spadys say the SAM [Student Alcohol Management] Spady Foundation will develop peer-to-peer counseling and other services meant to reduce the risk of alcohol abuse.
Gordie Bailey's memorial foundation Mission: to provide today’s youth with the skills to navigate the dangers of alcohol, and through education and promotion of self worth prevent alcohol poisoning, binge drinking and hazing.
Kimberly Ostien's memorial foundation: "With binge drinking on the rise, we feel it necessary to get the message out on the danger of alcohol, especially excessive alcohol consumed in a short period of time. Students are educated on drugs and alcohol but they will continue to experiment no matter what. We want to educate on what to do when a friend falls down or passes out from drinking. Often we want to put that person to bed to sleep it off and that is when the trouble can begin." The card lists the information, above.
http://www.lilvickih.com/ heres a website her family set up in memory of her.
Posted by: lynn | Friday, November 13, 2009 at 08:29 PM