Kyle Plush called 911 twice in a desperate bid to save his own life, but he was not found in time.
How did a teenager die in the back of his own van?
Kyle Plush, 16, frantically called 911 and pleaded for help after getting stuck inside his Honda Odyssey, but authorities in Cincinnati, Ohio, could not find the vehicle in time.
"I probably don't have much time left, so tell my mom that I love her if I die," he said in a heart-wrenching 911 call.
Authorities said they were not able to locate his van. Hours later, Kyle was found dead by his own father, who had gone looking for him after he never returned home.
The tragedy appears to be the result of a freak accident.
The third-row bench seat of the 2004 Honda Odyssey can be folded away in the trunk to make space for storage. But once brought back into an upright position, it needs to be latched properly, otherwise it might flip backwards, according to reports.
When the teenager reached over the back of the seat for his tennis gear, which was in the trunk, the seat flipped backwards under the weight of his body, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
Authorities told the Enquirer he ended up pinned upside down beneath the seat.
Kyle was able to use the Siri feature on his iPhone to call for help, but could not be saved in time. He died of asphyxia due to chest compression.
Just months ago, Honda recalled 900,000 Odyssey minivans from model years 2011 to 2017 because it was possible for the second-row seats to tip forward if they were not properly latched.
But in a statement following Kyle's death, Honda said there "were no seat-related recalls affecting the 2004 Honda Odyssey."
In a statement, Honda said, "Our hearts go out to the victim’s family during this difficult time. Honda does not have any specific information from which to definitively determine what occurred in this incident."
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