Two college students fell while they were taking a selfie at a rooftop party. According to ABC News' Philadelphia station WPVI, they plummeted four stories at about two in the morning on Saturday.
The police said that some Temple University students were on a rooftop in North Philadelphia, partying and drinking. Two women who were allegedly trying to take a selfie together. However, they ended up falling off from the roof. The two 19-year-olds landed in an alleyway four floors below.
The students suffered injuries
The WPVI reported that one of them suffered leg and ankle injuries. The other student has many injuries to multiple parts of the body and is in critical but stable condition. Neel Patel, one of the neighbors, said during an interview what he witnessed.
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He said that he was delivering pizza back to his friends when he saw ambulances everywhere. He also noted seeing police cars everywhere at the scene. Allison Byrne, on Temple University student, said that she felt bad for her friend who was there. She had a rough night trying to deal with what happened emotionally.
The building's rooftop is not a safe place
The WPVI reported that the building management company said that it has a parapet wall and railings in its rooftop deck. However, at least one student who had been there before said that it is not a safe place.
Arnav Johri, a Temple University student, said that there is not enough room blocking that could prevent you from falling off. He explained that if you are drinking and ran right into it, you could easily fall. He noted that the railings only come like a little halfway between your hip and knee.
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The circumstances around the accident and what had caused it are still not clear yet. The Philadelphia Police are assisting the Temple Police with the investigation.
A student fell from the same area 7 years ago
Previously, a Temple University student has fallen off from a rooftop during a party. Ali Fausnaught, a 19-year-old freshman, attended a rooftop party just a few blocks away from the recent incident in 2013. The student fell three floors to her death after she tripped over a ten-inch ledge around the roof of a building.
Neighbors said that the students are still partying even though that there is a pandemic. Some of them are hoping that the tragic incident could serve as a wake-up call for the students to prevent similar accidents from happening again in the future.
Ada Banks, one of the neighbors, told WPVI that the young adults who are still children at heart have no fear of death. She said that they are hoping that someone would learn from what has recently happened on the rooftop because it happens all the time.
