2 Temple University Students Fall Off Rooftop While Taking Selfies, Police Say

Two 19-year-old college students from Temple University were injured after they fell from a four-story rooftop on Saturday while taking selfies, police said. Authorities said several students had gathered on the rooftop of the building to drink and party at the time of the incident.

Officers from both Temple University and the Philadelphia Police Department responded to the scene of the incident at 1800 block of North Bouvier Street at 2 a.m., Temple University spokesperson Ray Betzner told Inside Edition Digital.

One of the female students was in stable condition and was taken to Temple University to be treated for leg and ankle injuries. The other student was in critical but stable condition at Jefferson Hospital with injuries to multiple parts of her body, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. 

Neither students involved in the fall have been identified by authorities.

Betzner said the families have requested privacy but said "both students are responsive and continue to receive treatment."

He explained that the off-campus apartments where the incident occurred are used by students and that the building is privately owned and not owned by the university.

MK Management Group, LLC, the Philadelphia-based management company that runs the apartment building said the rooftop has a deck with a parapet wall and railings, but one student told WPVI-TV that he believes that it is not enough to protect someone from accidentally falling.

The building's management company told Inside Edition Digital that they were aware of the incident that occurred this past Saturday around one of the properties they manage.

"It was a terribly unfortunate incident, and our thoughts and prayers are with the two girls who were involved in the accident,” MK Management said in a statement. “Everyone at MK Management wishes them a speedy recover. 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.”

It was reported that both women landed on the sidewalk in the back alley of the building.

Since the ordeal, many students have questioned the rooftop’s safety. "There's not enough room blocking you from falling off,” Arnav Johri told the news outlet. “So if you're drinking and you run right into it, it's really easy to slip right off because it only comes to like a little halfway between your knee and hip.”

News of the recent incident did not surprise many of the longtime residents in the area, who are familiar with the partying that takes place among the college student population, that they have noted is still happening despite the pandemic.

Åda Banks told WPVI that she hopes that this is a wake-up call. “It happens all the time. We just hope someone learns from their example not to be on the roof,” she said, “Young adults, who are still children at heart, and they have no fear.”

Early this year, a third-year Drexel College of Medicine student fell to his death after missing his mark while jumping from rooftop to rooftop on the 1200 block of Buttonwood Street, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

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