St Kitts rooted Civil Rights lawyer Kiah Duggins dies in tragic Washington DC plane crash

Kiah Duggins was a civil rights attorney with the non-profit Civil Rights Corps.

Published 2025-01-31 15:27:08

Updated 2025-09-12 15:37:55

St Kitts and Nevis: A former Miss Kansas contestant and attorney Kiah Duggins, who has her family roots from St Kitts, has been named among the victims of the American Airlines flight 5342 that crashed into the Potomac River after colliding with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night.

According to the reports, Duggins was flying into Washington DC from Wichita as she was preparing to become a law professor at Howard University during the fall this year. This was confirmed by her former pageant director Larry Strong through a Facebook post.

Expressing her sincere condolences, he wrote that it is with heavy heart that the Miss Augusta and Miss Butler County Organisation just learned that Kiah Duggins Miss Butler County 2014 and 2015 was among the passengers in the plane which crashed in Washington DC.

He further asked everyone to keep the rest of the family in their prayers and thoughts during this difficult time.

Notably, Duggins was a civil rights attorney with the non-profit Civil Rights Corps who took legal action on behalf of movements challenging unconstitutional policing and money bail practices in Tennessee, Texas and Washington DC.

She completed her law from Harvard University where she also served as the president of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau.

Duggins completed her multiple bachelors’ degrees from Wichita State University and completed a Fulbright grant in Taiwan before her work in the nation’s capital.

Tragic Washington DC Plane Crash

American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night as it approached towards Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 pm. This crash is now being considered as one of the deadliest which took place on US soil in over two decades.

The deadly crash had no survivors and claimed all 67 lives, 64 onboard American Airlines flight and 3 aboard army helicopter. The officials reported that those who boarded the 64 person flight which fell into the Potomac River also included at least 14 members from the US Figure Skating Team.

As of now, at least 40 bodies have been recovered from the river as recovery operations concluded late Thursday afternoon. The bodies of the three soldiers on the Army helicopter have all been recovered. There was no immediate word on the exact cause of this tragic crash.

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Monika Walker

Monika Walker is a senior journalist specializing in regional and international politics, offering in-depth analysis on governance, diplomacy, and key global developments. With a degree in International Journalism, she is dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices through factual reporting. She also covers world news across every genre, providing readers with balanced and timely insights that connect the Caribbean to global conversations.