Victoria Strauss: Ohio State graduate crushed to death between car and parking garage booth in freak accident
An Ohio State graduate lost her life at a parking garage after her head was stuck between her car and the exit toll booth when she accidentally accelerated while picking up a dropped credit card. Victoria Strauss, who was studying Social Work at the university, was found dead early Tuesday, January 19. The New York Post reported that the 23-year-old was leaving the garage in downtown Columbus at 11:37 pm Monday, when the freak accident took place. According to reports, Strauss dropped her credit card while paying for parking, and as she tried to retrieve the card from the ground, she accidentally hit her vehicle gas pedal with her door still open.
Strauss was reportedly found unresponsive by a security guard the next morning. Her head was reportedly stuck between her car and the exit toll booth inside the garage. A report by The Columbus Dispatch said a video of the tragic incident showed the young woman’s credit card falling from her hand while she tried to pay for parking inside the garage. The Columbus Ohio Division of Police released a statement that read, “While attempting to pay for her parking, she dropped her card. She attempted to retrieve her card by opening her door and leaning out to pick it up. She inadvertently accelerated and collided with the parking kiosk. The collision pinned her between her car door and the door frame. Strauss died as a result of her collision with the kiosk and was pronounced at scene. No one else was involved.”
Reports said that Strauss originally hailed from Florida and she did her undergraduate from Florida Atlantic University. An investigation has been launched into the case by the police department’s Accident Investigation Unit, The Sun reported.
Strauss's friends from Florida A&M paid tribute to their friend, recalling her passion for dancing. Jacquelyn Castore, Brianna Domaeti and Charleston Carter told 10TV that she started dancing "as soon as she could walk". “It’s very special. It does make us feel at ease knowing that was the last memory we shared together,” said Castore, adding, “She kind of held us all together. We four had a connection and soon as we had a connection, we became best friends right away." “She wanted to be a therapist; she was about to graduate grad school, she wanted to make a change in other people’s lives. Each and every dance that she did, you could feel… you could feel that she was dancing for a bigger purpose,” said Domaeti. The three friends said they'd be dancing for her for the rest of their lives. "We feel her absence, we will be dancing for her for the rest of our lives,” said Castore.
Meanwhile, several people on Facebook expressed their sorrow and paid tribute to the young woman. One person commented, “This is horrific I'm so sorry may she rest peacefully I cant imagine having 2 b the mother and family members 2 receive this news, how devastating.” Another one said, “I thought I'd heard of every kind of possible accident, but this is something new. So young, too! Sad for her family that have to deal with this.”
“Security company needs better way to patrol their garages. So sorry this young lady was killed and not found for hours. My heart is so heavy for her family and friends, could of happened to any one of us,” the third user stated, while the fourth person suggested, “This was a terrible accident!!! Maybe we can learn something from this. Always turn on the parking break when getting out of a car with the motor running. That might prevent something like this from happening again.”