Teacher Plummets Four Stories to Her Death After Sliding Down Bannister

A 23-year-old Crete woman who was killed in an accident at a Halloween party at a downtown luxury hotel was a Chicago public schools special education teacher who was "ready to make a difference," according to her family.

The accident happened at 10:30 p.m. Saturday as Megan Duskey, of the 3600 block of Melanie Lane was attending the party at the Palmer House Hilton, 17 E. Monroe St., police said.

While police have opened a death investigation into the incident, preliminary details indicate she was attempting to slide down a stair rail from the mezzanine level when she lost her balance and fell four stories to the basement level, police said.

Duskey was at the party with friends when the "tragic accident" happened, according to a police officer. Alcohol did not appear to be a factor, police said.

The Haunted Hotel Ball was scheduled to occur at the Palmer House on Saturday evening. The event was sold out and about 2,000 people were expected. The event began at 8 p.m. and was expected to run until 2 a.m.

Duskey was at the party dressed as the Silk Spectre, super-heroine of the comic book movie "Watchmen." With Duskey was a group of girlfriends that included her cousin, a college roomate and several other close friends.

The young women arrived at the party looking forward to a night out in the city, said Elisa Pessetto, who grew up a few houses away from Duskey's family home in Crete.

They had been at the hotel for about 30 minutes when Pessetto said she stepped away from her friends on a third or fourth-floor staircase. When she returned minutes later, Duskey and a cousin of hers were gone, and two of their friends were collapsed on the stairwell floor, crying hysterically, Pessetto said.

"I couldn't even understand what they were saying," Pessetto said. "Then someone said (Megan) fell."

Monique Bond, Chicago Public Schools spokeswoman, said Duskey was an early childhood special education teacher at Orville T. Bright School, 10740 S. Calhoun Ave. Crisis counselors will be at the school on Monday, Bond said.

Friends and family gathered at the woman's home in Crete today.

Duskey graduated from Northern Illinois University in 2009 with a degree in early childhood education and early childhood special education, family spokeswoman Rita Miotti said in a statement. She began at the far south side school during the 2009-2010 school year, Miotti said.

Duskey graduated from Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights where she was an honor student, Miotti said. She attended St. Mary's School in Park Forest where she was a parishioner, Miotti said.

Duskey played soccer, softball and volleyball in high school and continued to play in intramural leagues, Miotti said. She is survived by her parents and two brothers, Miotti said.

"Megan's passing is a tragic loss to her family and friends. She was a caring, energetic person who was full of life and eager to help others and make a difference in the world," according to the statement.

JOKE: A group of Americans were traveling by tour bus

A group of retired Americans were traveling by tour bus through Holland. As they stopped at a cheese farm, a young guide led them through the process of cheese making, explaining that goat's milk was used. She showed the group a lovely hillside where many goats were grazing.

'These,' she explained, 'are the older goats put out to pasture when they no longer produce.'

She then asked, 'What do you do in America with your old goats?'

A spry old gentleman answered, 'They send us on bus tours!

Halloween Pix

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VIDEO: Naked mother pinned down by four police officers in cell cleared of assault

A mother accused of assaulting police was cleared yesterday after a court was shown CCTV footage of them attacking her. Stephanie Rutter, 25, can be seen being pinned down by four officers after she was stripped naked in a police cell.

The hairdresser had been arrested after a row with her boyfriend. When she arrived at the police station there was a bust-up and her clothes were cut off. Stephanie was then said to have attacked a woman police sergeant, a woman PC and a male and female detention officer.

But the charges were dropped after her lawyer produced the CCTV at Runcorn Magistrates' Court, Cheshire, England. Stephanie, from Runcorn, was shown being elbowed in the jaw and pinned to the floor. The mum of one was then handcuffed and put in leg restraints.

Stephanie said: "It was four on one - and they won. They left me in the cell with blood dripping down my face and covered in bruises. I thought my jaw was broken." She said she was "overjoyed" at being cleared, adding: "Justice has been done." She is now taking action against the officers.

Flasher is bitten by victim's dog

A man who indecently exposed himself to a woman ended up being bitten by her dog.

The victim, aged in her 60s, was walking her pet in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, England when she was approached by the flasher. A police spokesman said the man exposed himself and the terrier growled. It then bit him on the upper right arm.

Sgt Ian Dowling, of North Cotswolds police, said the dog seemed "to have acted instinctively". He added: "This was clearly an upsetting incident for the woman and her dog.

"The animal seems to have acted instinctively and was not urged to attack the offender. Naturally because of the nature of the incident, we are keen to hear about anyone seen with a dog bite on his right arm in the last 24 hours."

Man walked into hospital with severed arm in garbage bag ..asked them to reattach it

A concrete worker walked into a hospital with his arm in a yellow bin bag after it was torn off by heavy machinery - and calmly asked doctors to sew it back on again.

Romanian Miheal Ionescu, 51, who works at a factory making concrete at Iasi in northern Romania, had his arm ripped off in the work accident, and stuffed it in a bin bag - before getting a friend to drive him to the hospital. Nine doctors then spent 12 hours working to reattach the arm of the man from Falticeni.

Hospital spokesman Doctor Tudor Ciuhodaru at the local St John's Hospital in the city said: "The man was clearly in shock, which is why he could remain so calm. He is now in intensive care.

"This is one of the most severe cases we have ever seen at the emergency room, and we specialize in this and do around 1,000 arms reattachments every year."

VIDEO: Big Cat Halloween