The coroner says Ngone Talla’s death appears natural, while police investigate what happened during her ride home from school.
CINCINNATI, Ohio — A 7-year-old Cincinnati Public Schools student with disabilities died after she became unresponsive in her wheelchair aboard a school bus Wednesday, with police and the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.
Authorities identified the child as Ngone Talla, a student at Roselawn Condon School. Her family said she was found unresponsive when the bus arrived at their home on Sept. 16. The Hamilton County coroner has said the death appears to be from natural causes and that Talla had an extensive medical history, including cerebral palsy. A final cause of death has not been publicly announced. Separate reports that she became stuck in a seatbelt have not been established as the cause of her death.
Cincinnati police said officers responded to the 4200 block of Colerain Avenue at about 5:30 p.m. for a death investigation. Family members said the bus had arrived at their Northside home but remained outside for several minutes without using the rear wheelchair ramp as they normally expected. When family members went outside to check, they learned that Talla was unresponsive inside the bus.
The girl’s family told local news outlets that Talla used a wheelchair and was nonverbal. Her relatives said she had appeared well when she left for school that morning. After finding her unresponsive on the bus, the family contacted her father, who called emergency services. Talla was taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to reporting citing the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office.
The coroner’s office said Talla had no traumatic injuries associated with her death. Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco told FOX19 that the death appeared natural but remained under review. The coroner’s office also told The Cincinnati Enquirer that the case did not appear to involve homicide or suicide. Officials have not released a final medical finding explaining what caused Talla to become unresponsive.
FOX19 reported, citing sources, that Talla became stuck in a seatbelt while aboard the bus. That detail was also included in the initial report distributed by Gray News. Authorities, however, have not publicly concluded that a seatbelt caused or contributed to her death. The coroner’s preliminary assessment that the death appears natural makes that distinction significant as police and medical officials continue their reviews.
Talla’s family has questioned whether the adults aboard the bus recognized that she was experiencing a medical emergency quickly enough. Her relatives told local reporters that the bus remained outside the family’s home for roughly 10 minutes before they went to investigate. Her father said he is waiting for investigators to determine what happened and raised concerns about the supervision she received while riding home.
Cincinnati Public Schools said it was grieving Talla’s death and sent its Crisis Response Unit to Roselawn Condon School to support students and employees. The district described the death as an unimaginable loss for Talla’s family and the school community. The district has not publicly announced any disciplinary action related to the incident, and available reports do not establish wrongdoing by any school employee.
First Student, the private company that operates the bus, said it was deeply saddened by the student’s death and was cooperating with Cincinnati Public Schools and local authorities. The company said it could not release additional details because the investigation remained active. Available reports indicate there was a driver and another adult associated with the bus, but authorities have not publicly released findings about their actions before Talla was discovered unresponsive.
The Cincinnati Police Department is conducting a death investigation while the coroner works to determine the final cause and manner of death. As of Sept. 18, no charges had been filed in connection with Talla’s death, and investigators had not announced evidence of criminal conduct. Questions remain about when she first became unresponsive, what occurred during the bus ride and whether the reported seatbelt issue played any role.
Author note: Last updated September 18, 2026.