After Woman's Death at World Trade Center Oculus, How Tragedy Could Have Been Prevented

After a young woman fell to her death inside the World Trade Center Oculus over the weekend, some of the escalator's safety features — or lack thereof — have been called into question.

Read: Woman Falls to Her Death Inside World Trade Center Oculus

Jenny Santos, 29, was riding the escalator with her twin sister at about 5:30 a.m. Saturday as they were on their way home to New Jersey after a night on the town.

Surveillance video reportedly shows Santos climbing on to the railing and spreading her arms out like she was flying. A moment later, she lost her balance and fell 34 feet, hitting her head on the marble floor below.

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Emergency responders rushed Santos to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, Port Authority police spokesman Joseph Pentangelo told InsideEdition.com.

Patrick Carrajat, an escalator safety expert, told Inside Edition an outrigged handrail — a stationary handrail that sits outside the escalator's moving handrail — could have been a lifesaver. 

"It sits on the outer edge and at a 45-degree angle," he told Inside Edition. "If something goes over, it can’t fall."

Carrajat added that it's also important not to goof off around the escalator.

"Don’t play around, this is not a toy," he said. "It is not an entertainment device, it is a transportation device. Hold the handrail, stay in the center of the step, if possible, and step off the escalator when you come to the end.”

The $4 billion Oculus opened 10 months ago, and has been praised for its architectural splendor. The transportation hub connects lower Manhattan to New Jersey and also hosts 11 subway lines. It also features a shopping mall. 

Santos, of Kearny, N.J., and her twin were on their way home when she plunged off the escalator and into the main concourse’s marble floor below, officials said.

Emergency responders rushed Santos to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, Port Authority police spokesman Joseph Pentangelo told InsideEdition.com.

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