Indiana
Autopsy reveals why Indiana mom died suddenly on plane
An Indiana mom who died on a plane home from the Dominican Republic passed away from natural causes.
Until now, mystery had surrounded the death of 41-year-old Stefanie Smith, who fell ill suddenly while on an American Airlines flight Feb. 28. Her family was left distraught and searching for answers.
But autopsy results now reveal that the mother of two died from a carotid artery dissection in her neck, according to Scripps News Indianapolis. Essentially, she died from a tear to one of her neck arteries, according to the National Library of Medicine.
“It was truly a tragic medical event that happened,” Smith’s brother Chris Volz told Scripps News Indianapolis. The results did not suggest any signs of foul play.
Smith had spent five days vacationing in Punta Cana with her boyfriend and another couple. Her friend Maria Yannotti, who was on the trip with her, told ABC that Smith appeared healthy and went for a run each morning before breakfast at the resort.
She also told Fox News Digital that the two had consumed the same meals on the trip.
“Everything she had, I had,” Yannotti told Fox. “We ate about the same meals. We drank about the same drinks. You know, it wasn’t like [any]body was belligerent. [W]e just had our nice drinks by the pool and by the beach. I mean, most of the time, we watched them open the bottles right in front of us. We were having a great time. We played beach volleyball. We swam.”
Volz said his sister appeared healthy up until the plane ride home.
On a connecting flight through North Carolina, Smith began convulsing shortly after takeoff, Yannotti said. The flight was diverted to Turks and Caicos.
“Her boyfriend had told us that they were getting ready to … get altitude, or they hadn’t been in the air very long. But he said that he looked over at her, and her head was tilted back in her seat. Her eyes were rolled in the back of her head, and he thought she was just making fun of them. They normally joke around … like that,” she told Fox.
“And he said, ‘Next thing you know, she was convulsing,’” Yannotti added.
Flight attendants began performing CPR, but were unsuccessful.
Once on the ground, Smith was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead, reports say. Her body is expected back in the U.S. next week.
Smith leaves behind her 18-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter, according to ABC.
“She was a special person. Her kids loved her a lot. I know she loved them, so it’s tough,” Volz said.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
On this episode of “Week in Review,” we cover the Indiana gambling case, the Bears’ 2026 schedule release and the Bulls landing the No. 4 draft pick. We also look at Jim’s Original moving after 85 years and Chicago Fire FC’s new McDonald’s Park stadium name. Plus, Cole Kmet joins Cop on a Rooftop, a White Sox phenom goes one on one and more top stories from around Chicago.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — More than 50 Indiana law enforcement agencies are taking to the roof to help local athletes.
Police and safety officers will be stationed around various Dunkin’ Donuts, taking up donations for the Special Olympics. People who monetarily donate will receive a coupon for a free donut. Those who donate $10 or more will receive a coupon for a free medium hot coffee.
“Supporting the Special Olympics isn’t just an event for us — it’s a commitment to people who inspire us every day,” Sergeant Wes Rowlader said. “These athletes show what determination, courage, and community truly look like. Every dollar we raise helps transform that spirit into training, competition, and lifelong confidence.”
More than 20,000 Hoosier athletes train and compete for free within the Special Olympics. To date, Cop on a Rooftop has raised more than $125,000 for Special Olympics Indiana.
The Indiana State Police will be at the Dunkin’ Donuts at 9821 Lima Road in Fort Wayne from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday.
A man’s family is demanding answers after he was shot by a security guard inside a hospital emergency room waiting area on Tuesday night in Gary, Indiana.
Methodist Northlake Hospital officials said, around midnight Tuesday night, its security staff responded quickly after a patient took out a gun. The hospital said he’d threatened to shoot himself or others.
The hospital commended the security guard who shot the man for “neutralizing the threat and helping ensure the safety of our patients and employees.”
Family members identified the man who was shot as Otis Brown. They said he is a kind father to a 12-year-old boy.
“Just a great person, a happy-go-lucky, always out there trying to do the right thing,” said his fiancée, Stacey Taylor.
Taylor said she was on a business trip when she got a call that Brown had been shot multiple times.
“Scared, uncertainty; you know, what story is right? You know, what happened?” she said.
After he was shot, Brown was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center for treatment.
Taylor said she had no idea why Brown went to Methodist Northlake Hospital in the first place. His family said he was trying to leave the hospital when the shooting happened, claiming that the hospital gave him his gun back after he was cleared to leave.
“We just want to get answers, just want to know what happened, particularly when people are defaming his name,” Taylor said.
She and Brown’s family hope the hospital has surveillance video footage that can help provide answers.
Gary police have not provided any details on the shooting. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department said it is investigating the shooting at the request of Gary police, but did not provide any further information.
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