Crime & Safety

Man Falls 12 Feet From School Roof

He was working on a demolition project at Smith School.

A man was taken to Hackensack Medical Center Sunday after he fell about 12 feet from the roof of the Smith School, on Hillsdale Avenue.

According to Hillsdale Police Ptl. Tom Smith, a man was doing some restoration work to the front entrance of the school around 3:15 p.m. Sunday. Smith said he was working on a demolition project at the time.

"It's not like it was an unfit structure that collapsed, it was just some construction work going on there, and maybe it gave way," he said. "It was a demolition project hired by the board of education, and we are not sure if there was damage to the roof."

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Smith said they are still investigating as to whether something collapsed, or if the victim simply took a misstep and fell off the roof.

"No one saw what happened, only the victim, and he is in too much pain to talk," Smith said.

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The victim, Smith said, was taken to Hackensack Medical Center, and is currently considered to have non life-threatening injuries.

Smith said that because the man's family has not yet been notified, they are not releasing his name at this time.

The police department is continuing to investigate the incident.


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