Ciaya Jordan Whetstone: UNO student turns up dead in hospital after Uber ride
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: Ciaya Jordan Whetstone, a 21-year-old University of New Orleans student, went out with her pals on Friday, February 18, night. But she was delivered to a local hospital the next day in an unresponsive state and pronounced dead. According to Juliet Orr, a friend of Whetstone's, the 21-year-old went to the Carnival parades in Metairie on Friday but left at 8.30 pm.
Whetstone then went to a bar with another group of friends, according to Orr, following which a friend drove the student to her boyfriend's house in Harahan. Whetstone took an Uber in the middle of the night to check on her dog, Zoe, at her Lakeshore Drive apartment in Gentilly, according to a friend. Orr claimed the driver reportedly waited outside as Whetstone checked her dog when she arrived at her apartment.
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Reese White, Whetstone's roommate, said she encouraged her to stay, but the 21-year-old maintained the driver was her friend and left with him to "go retrieve her car," according to White. "I tried to convince her not to go," White told NOLA, claiming Whetstone appeared inebriated.
Roberto Torres, another friend, said he contacted Whetstone at 1:30 am on Saturday, February 19, just as she was getting into her Uber car. Torres overhead the Uber driver allegedly asking Whetstone, "Do you like to party?". Whetstone then is said to have told Torres that she would call him back, but when she didn't, he tried her number again. Torres told the newspaper, "I called. I called. I called – nothing."
According to authorities, Whetstone was taken to a local hospital the next day in an unresponsive state and was pronounced dead shortly after. The student's death is being investigated by police in New Orleans, who are working to piece together the student's final moments. Uber says it has disabled the driver's access to the platform and is cooperating with authorities. They did not, however, give the driver's name.
In a statement to The US Sun, Uber added, "Our thoughts are with Ciaya Whetstone’s family as they grieve the loss of their daughter. We stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation."
Whetstone's friend Julia Brooker said she was studying psychology at UNO and dreamed of helping children via trauma treatment. Whetstone's stepfather, Chris Ferrand, said her entire family is "still in such a shock." Ferrand, who resides in South Carolina with the rest of Whetstone's family, said they are finalising funeral plans for their daughter and are eager to welcome her home. Ferrand told NOLA, "We've got a tough few days ahead of us."
In a moving Facebook post on Sunday, Berea Advent Christian Church, where Whetstone was a member of the youth group, paid tribute to the 21-year-old.
Whetstone's death is being investigated by police, and it's still unclear who dropped the 21-year-old off at the hospital. Officials stated Whetstone arrived by "private conveyance," a term used by law enforcement when a victim is transferred by a commercial motor vehicle instead of an ambulance.