UW Student Died Of Blood Clot After Fall: Medical Examiner

SEATTLE, WA - The 19-year-old University of Washington sophomore who died Wednesday after falling on campus died of natural causes due to a blood clot, according to the King County Medical Examiner.

Hayley Smith was walking near Drumheller Fountain when she fell around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. She died later at Harborview Medical Center. Her death was likely unrelated to the fall itself, the medical examiner determined. The exact cause of death was pulmonary embolism due to deep venous thrombosis.

University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce addressed Smith's death on Thursday, it a "tragic accident." There was speculation that Smith died after slipping on ice, but the medical examiner's finding does not seem to support that.

Cauce's statement, however, did address walkway conditions on campus.

"The weather conditions we are experiencing are unusual and challenging for Seattle due to the combination of snow and below-freezing temperatures that prevent a full melt. Please take extra precautions, move a little slower, have patience with delays and watch out for your friends and colleagues," she said in the statement.

Monday's snow and freezing temperatures this week have left patches of ice across on sidewalks across the region. UW police advised students to "use caution when walking" near Drumheller Fountain.

UW was open on Wednesday after two days of snow-related closures. Cauce took responsibility for the decision to open the campus that day.

"It is important to note that as a public, residential space, our campus is never 'closed' and that there will always be people on the grounds. Our crews work around the clock to keep our campus roads and sidewalks as clear of snow and ice as possible, regardless of whether normal operations are suspended," Cauce said.

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