# Kernel crash when simplifying piecewise function

So the kernel appears to just die whenever you try to simplify a piecewise function containing "Nothing". For example: this appears to kill the kernel

$$\text{Simplify@}\begin{array}{cc} \Bigl[\begin{array}{cc} x & x=5 \\ \text{Nothing} & \text{True} \\ \end{array} \end{array}$$

Has anyone else encountered this? Is there a workaround?

Mathematica version 11.2, running on Windows 10.

Copy-pasteable code:

Simplify@ \!$$\* TagBox[GridBox[{ {"\[Piecewise]", GridBox[{ {"x", RowBox[{"x", "==", "5"}]}, {"Nothing", TagBox["True", "PiecewiseDefault", AutoDelete->True]} }, AllowedDimensions->{2, Automatic}, Editable->True, GridBoxAlignment->{ "Columns" -> {{Left}}, "ColumnsIndexed" -> {}, "Rows" -> {{Baseline}}, "RowsIndexed" -> {}}, GridBoxItemSize->{ "Columns" -> {{Automatic}}, "ColumnsIndexed" -> {}, "Rows" -> {{1.}}, "RowsIndexed" -> {}}, GridBoxSpacings->{"Columns" -> { Offset[0.27999999999999997], { Offset[0.84]}, Offset[0.27999999999999997]}, "ColumnsIndexed" -> {}, "Rows" -> { Offset[0.2], { Offset[0.4]}, Offset[0.2]}, "RowsIndexed" -> {}}, Selectable->True]} }, GridBoxAlignment->{ "Columns" -> {{Left}}, "ColumnsIndexed" -> {}, "Rows" -> {{Baseline}}, "RowsIndexed" -> {}}, GridBoxItemSize->{ "Columns" -> {{Automatic}}, "ColumnsIndexed" -> {}, "Rows" -> {{1.}}, "RowsIndexed" -> {}}, GridBoxSpacings->{"Columns" -> { Offset[0.27999999999999997], { Offset[0.35]}, Offset[0.27999999999999997]}, "ColumnsIndexed" -> {}, "Rows" -> { Offset[0.2], { Offset[0.4]}, Offset[0.2]}, "RowsIndexed" -> {}}], "Piecewise", DeleteWithContents->True, Editable->False, SelectWithContents->True, Selectable->False]$$


• copyable code: Simplify[Piecewise[{{x, x == 5}, {Nothing, True}}]]. I confirm this crashes the kernel (10.4.1 for Microsoft Windows (64-bit)). – AccidentalFourierTransform May 15 '19 at 2:02
• Is it because of the Nothing? – QuantumDot May 15 '19 at 20:38