Two Temple University students survived a fall from a four-story building just blocks off-campus during a rooftop party.
The accident occurred on Saturday morning around 2 AM on North Bouvier Street, between 17th and 18th streets.
According to university officials, as of Thursday morning, the girls are “alert, responsive, and receiving care.” One was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital downtown and the other to Temple Hospital, two miles north of Temple’s main campus.
A source who was at the party that morning told Temple Update exactly how the girls fell. He claims they were partying on the rooftop of 1807 when the two decided they wanted to take a selfie on the rooftop next door, apartment 1809. They attempted to climb over to the other side but failed to see the alleyway between the two apartments and fell right through the gap.
This source also mentioned TUPD had to break down the door to enter the apartment because the alleyway is not accessible from the street.
“I thought they were dead,” he said.
Temple Update reached out to MK Management Group, the building’s management company, for a comment on the structure of the building and the safety protocols that are in place. They said they are not doing interviews at this time but are happy to issue a statement:
“MK Management is aware of the incident that occurred this past Saturday around one of the properties we manage. It was a terribly unfortunate incident, and our thoughts and prayers are with the two girls who were involved in the accident. Everyone at MK Management wishes them a speedy recovery. Moving forward, we are working with the landlords and local officials to investigate the incident in greater detail, ensuring all safety protocols remain in place at the property.”
Security footage from across the street shows police responding to the scene and paramedics wheeling a stretcher down the street.
Neighbors who witnessed the action that morning told Temple Update they don’t think the girls should have been up on that roof from the start.
Ms. Ada Banks, a longtime resident of North Bouvier Street, was home at the time of the accident and watched the scene from her apartment.
“You don’t need a degree to tell you you don’t belong on top of a four-story building. So stay off of the rooftops!” she said.
Just down the block, Temple senior Arnav Johri says, “There are rooftops you’re meant to be on top of. There are rooftop bars, a lot of stuff out there. But if you notice, they’re built with safety in mind so you can’t just easily fall off.”