Daily Egyptian Sp03
Spring 2003
Porch collapses sending five to hospital
Moustafa Ayad
Daily EgyptianThe wood lay dilapidated, splintered at the ends across the ground; the tape that had been used to section off the scene of the accident sat flapping in the wind. Lawn chairs and bottles of beer sat strewn across the ground.
Chairs at one end of deck had flipped over, and the wood at the other end had shattered. Solid wood turned to rubble that the rain and years had turned to mush.
It appeared as if a party - or a tornado - had taken place at an apartment on 2237 Country Club Road rented by Bonnie Owen Property management.
Partygoers and students who were enjoying a get together Saturday night did not expect the events the night would bring.
At approximately 10:53 p.m., according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Department report, a resident called 911 and told them the balcony gave way under the feet of about 20 partygoers.
The result was several injuries and the pile of wood that laid in the backyard of the two-story house. The deck that sits atop struts made of wood had collapsed, sending about 20 people into a tumble of roughly 10 feet, according to the police report. No members of the gathering were killed.
Colin Sander, a junior in political science from Springfield, was standing on the porch when the structure gave way. He said the irony of the situation is what struck him first.
"I couldn't believe it," Sander said. " I was just talking about how weak and rickety the porch looked like five seconds before it happened."
Bonnie Owen Property management could not be reached for comment. The tenants who live at the residence refused to comment about the situation because of a potential lawsuit that might follow.
As Sander plummeted with the structure, he noticed that it was not the deck that had given way but the struts and wooden reinforcements that kept the structure standing.
" I landed on top of two other people and jumped up straight away," he said. "Underneath me was a girl with a swollen ankle that had swelled to a size of a grapefruit."
Sander said it seemed like there were three people who needed immediate medical care but he remembers about five having to go to the hospital.
"The entire deck collapsed at once," he said. " The middle of the porch was still intact. But there was broken wood and broken glass, liquids all over the place."
As soon the wood hit the ground, Sander said people scrambled and someone instantly dialed 911. Sander sustained giant bruises across his side and a large gash measuring just about 6 inches.
Sander likened the scene to complete chaos and the initial shock of a severe accident. As he stood by the side of the wall, he noticed that most of the pressure was caused by about seven to 10 people, whereas police reported 20.
" One girl even jumped from the porch and landed in the apartment as it fell," he said. "It looked like a war zone."
Reporter Moustafa Ayad can be reached at mayad@dailyegyptian.com
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