A woman is dead after a light pole fell on her at Roxborough High School Thursday morning, a spokesperson with the Philadelphia School District confirmed.
The incident happened around 11:08 a.m. on Dec. 5, 2024, when a 73-year-old woman was walking the track on the football field outside the high school.
Police believe that the pole may have fell due to the weather, but they were not immediately sure.
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The spokesperson for the school district said the woman was a member of the Roxborough school community and had a car parked at the school.
The woman was treated at the scene by paramedics for 20 minutes before she was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead around 12:15 p.m., according to the school district spokesperson.
"We are committed to working with appropriate agencies to inspect and assess wooden poles across District facilities and suspending all outdoor activities on Roxborough’s field until further notice," the school district said in a statement obtained by NBC10.
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Police have not released any details about this incident at this time.
Emergency crews removed the pole and light fixtures late Thursday afternoon.
"We go to this track all the time with the dogs. I was worried it was one of our neighbors. I don’t know who it is, but I heard about it. It’s very scary," Emily McCue, a woman who walks in the area, said.
McCue said she’s a regular at Roxborough High School’s track. But Thursday was different. She was greeted with yellow caution tape and emergency workers.
A school safety officer and the fire marshal were on the scene Friday morning as the track remained off limits.
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