Brawl leads to 3 men freefalling 8 stories down elevator shaft in apartment building
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KING OF PRUSSIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Several people were injured in a frightening freefall Monday night. Officials say the emergency incident that had first responders racing from across the county last night was no mechanical error.
It was an all-out brawl between three men, that ended up with them falling at least eight stories.
Injured and trapped, first responders tasked with extricating three men from a fallen elevator managed to get two out from the first floor and one from the second.
Authorities say the men were involved in a fight on the eighth floor of the south building.
“The steel elevator door, when you push the button the door opens, they broke through that door and there was no elevator there so they just fell eight floors to the bottom,” said Upper Merion Police Lt. Al Elverson.
Tenants are puzzled how this could’ve happened.
“That’s not an elephant that flew into the elevator. It’s three humans. I’m pretty sure it was faulty equipment,” tenant Derrell Washington said.
“Elevators are supposed to have a bunch of fail-safes so I don’t know why it would’ve had trouble,” Jared Day said.
When the elevator hit the first floor, one victim remained on top of the elevator. The other two crashed through the roof, ending up inside.
Eyewitness News tried reaching out to management to find out any updates but haven’t heard back.
While they’re all from King of Prussia, police say not all three men lived at the 251 DeKalb Apartments residence. They were all transported to local hospitals — one was airlifted to Penn Presbyterian. Some tenants are still shaken.
“I saw a lady earlier today and she was taking her dog and her dog was scared but she was like I’m not taking the elevator right now and she was pushing it downstairs,” Nicole Coello said.
Detectives from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office are working in conjunction with Upper Merion police.
Officials say it’s too early in the investigation to tell if any charges will be filed.
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