A 21-year-old woman died in a hospital in New Orleans on Friday, Feb. 18, after she reportedly rode an Uber back to her place once the Mardi Gras celebrations happening that day concluded.
Ciaya Jordan Whetstone, who is studying business administration at the University of New Orleans, was brought to the hospital by an unknown driver where she was later pronounced dead for an unknown reason, according to the New York Post.
She reportedly booked an Uber the last time that she was seen alive by her friends. Whetstone was planning to check on her dog when she booked the car, even though her friends had told her not to use the vehicle.
“I tried to convince her not to go,” Reese White, her roommate, said.
The New Orleans Police Department has said that this death is currently unclassified and that the case is currently being investigated by authorities. No other information has been available to the public regarding Whetstone’s death, NBC affiliate WYFF4 reported.
“My beautiful friend is dead, because she got in an Uber last night,” Dawn Gegenheimer, a co-worker of Whetstone, said. “It's Mardi Gras in NOLA; Protect your daughters no matter how old they are.”
Fellow students in the university have said that the incident has been shocking, with many women pointing out their lack of safety in traversing the city at night freely without possibly entering a terrible situation.
“Hearing stuff like that, about a fellow student, exacerbates that fear and anxiety of leaving my house,” Amanda Nadeau, a fellow student at the University of New Orleans, said.
“As a University, few things are more challenging than dealing with the sadness of the death of a student. Our thoughts are with Ciaya’s family and friends. We are offering counseling services to students and employees who need support,” the President of the University of New Orleans said in a statement.
The police have not offered up any suspects to Whetstone’s death at the moment.
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