Bridgeport, Connecticut – The family of a 20-year-old Sacred Heart University student who choked to death while participating in a pancake-eating contest has settled their lawsuit with the institution.
In March 2017, Caitlin Nelson fatally choked while she was participating in the on-campus, school sanctioned contest for charity, reports CTPost.
According to the family’s lawsuit, which was filed in April 2019, Nelson “stuffed pancakes in her mouth much faster than she could swallow. Moments later, Caitlin started to shake uncontrollably and then collapsed.”
According to police, the officers who came to the scene couldn’t access Nelson’s airway. She later died in a local hospital where tests showed her brain was severely deprived of oxygen.
Nelson’s family sued Sacred Heart for hosting the pancake-eating contest and for allegedly not having adequate medical staff at the event.
Details of the settlement have not been released to the public.
Sacred Heart University also filed a cross-complaint against the food service company that provided the pancakes. CTPost reports the school’s settlement with Nelson’s family includes Sacred Heart’s lawsuit against the food service provider.
