A 54-year-old man with developmental disabilities living in an upstate assisted living home fell to his death during a group trip to a New York mall Thursday in what police are describing as "a tragic accident."
Police say the man fell near Best Buy at The Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack shortly before 10:30 a.m. He apparently fell near the entrance of a third-floor escalator and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man was on a "Day Habilitation" trip with a staff member and three other residents of The New York Foundling's Rockland County group home at the time of the accident. The staff member was there when it happened.
It wasn't clear why the man fell, nor was it known how many stories he fell.
The New York Foundling said it was "deeply saddened" by the man's death.
"The safety of the individuals in our care is paramount, and we are doing everything we can to help determine what led to this terrible accident," the group home said in a statement.
Grief counselors are being made available to staff and clients.
The Palisades mall is the largest shopping mall in the New York metropolitan area.
