2 children fall from window at Pittsburgh-area apartment building
WHITE OAK, Pa. (KDKA) — Two young children fell out of a window at an apartment building in White Oak, Allegheny County.
Officials told KDKA-TV on Monday that two children, ages 6 and 3, fell out of a third-floor window at the Lincoln School Apartments on the 1700 block of Ohio Ave just after 3 p.m. The two children are siblings and fell out of the same window.
Both of the children were taken to the hospital in critical condition but were in stable condition on Tuesday. The 6-year-old boy was taken to a local hospital by ambulance, while his 3-year-old sister was flown to UPMC Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh. They were both conscious when first responders arrived.
"Both children were awake and in a lot of pain," said Paul Falavolito, White Oak's EMS chief.
The 6-year-old boy fell first out of the window, followed by his sister. A window at the apartment building is broken and covered by plastic. It is unclear how the window busted open or if it was broken before the kids fell out.
Both parents were home at the time of the incident, officials said. The children fell about 30 feet.
The father of the children, Tyler Jefferson, said the unit in their unit has been broken for weeks. He said he put in a maintenance request but nothing was done. He says his kids both have autism and are non-verbal, so he was concerned for their safety.
"I'm just happy they're OK," he said. "They're so strong. I wish that everyone could see how strong they are at the hospital. They're hanging in there."
Jefferson said the 6-year-old boy, Quin, suffered a broken leg and pelvic fracture, while the 3-year-old girl, Elody, has a collapsed lung and a pelvic fracture.
"I thought my daughter was dead," he said.
He was napping when the kids fell, and now he's wishing he could wake up from this nightmare.
"I feel like crap," he said. "I feel like any father would feel."
Andie Cartwright said she watched as the 6-year-old boy fell out of the window.
"He was just bolting for the street, and I had to do everything I could to just hold him back and that's when I heard the second child fall and looked back, and I saw her on the window well," Cartwright said.
She screamed for help since no one was outside the building, flagged a nearby mailman and called 911.
"The 911 operator asked me, 'please, can you just look to see if there's any movement?' and I said, 'I think she's gone,' and she said, 'please, just check,' and I said, 'okay,' and I looked back and I saw her move and it was such a huge relief," Cartwright said.
Falavolito said the mother was yelling and crying about a maintenance issue.
"We just heard the mother continuously very upset about something with a maintenance issue with the window that she had reported weeks ago," he said.
Allegheny County police have taken over the investigation. KDKA-TV reached out to White Oak's mayor and code enforcement officer about whether inspections are required before someone moves into a rental property but did not hear back.
"It hurts me to know they fell out like that," tenant Lucy Yancey said. "I'm praying for the kids and their parents."
Brandywine Communities released a statement, saying, "Our thoughts and prayers are with both the children and their family. We are unable to comment more at this time."
Several studies by the Journal of Pediatrics show that thousands of children wind up in the ER every year from falling out of windows. UPMC Children's Hospital calls it common, saying one report revealed an average of eight children ages 5 and younger die and more than 3,300 are injured each year.
Children's recommends window safety stops or window guards to prevent windows from opening more than 4 inches. Remember, screens are not a safety device and won't prevent a child from falling out the window. And don't put any furniture children can climb on under your windows. Experts also say consider installing grass, shrubs or mulch under your kids' windows to cushion a potential fall.
