Carrie O'Connor, a 38-year-old Boston University professor, died Monday at around 5:15 p.m. when she was crushed to death in an elevator accident in her apartment building. Boston police released her identity on Tuesday and said O’Connor died of traumatic asphyxiation, ruling her death accidental.
Traumatic asphyxia is usually caused when a person is intense compression of the chest or upper abdomen.
One of O’Connor’s neighbors, Leanne Scorzino, described the incident “It was horrifying. It wasn’t a cry. I can’t even describe what it was. I went out in the hall because I genuinely thought someone was being murdered.” and when she went out to see what happened all she could see was open elevator doors and the top of the cart and cables.
According to WayneDupree
A professor at Boston University was crushed to death on Monday in a devastating elevator accident in her Allston, Massachusetts apartment building.
The Sun reported that the victim has been identified as 38-year-old Carrie O’Connor, who had recently moved into the building. Residents of the building said that O’Connor was trying to load a package into the elevator when it suddenly dropped. An autopsy later determined that the cause of death was “traumatic asphyxia” and determined the “manner was accidental.”
The tragic accident was witnessed by a man who had to be taken to the hospital for evaluation due to the trauma of seeing the incident take place.
“He saw things that no one should ever see,” one resident of the building said.
“I heard someone that was bringing in a package out in the hallway, and then I heard an ungodly scream,” resident Leanne Scorzoni told the ABC-TV affiliate. “Then we ran out into the hallway, and we saw a gentleman who was obviously in distress. He was screaming and hyperventilating, saying, ‘She’s dead! She’s dead!’ ”