A family celebration in New Jersey was cut short when a deck suddenly collapsed at a home, leaving several people injured.
Splintered slabs of red wood were left in a pile on Kearny Street in Newark, the remnants of a porch that police said collapsed Sunday evening. Eight people were thrown to the ground as they were celebrating Dominican Mother’s Day, according to neighbors.
Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé said police got word of the collapse around 6:30 p.m. Those injured were taken to University Hospital for evaluation of their injuries, which were considered minor.
Andrea Rodriguez had been on the porch with her close friends in the moments ahead of the collapse. Minutes later, she heard screaming. She told NBC New York that her friends were crying for help, injured and bleeding.
Another witness, Anthony Cruz, said there were lots of head injuries and broken bones among the injured. He said most of the eight people hurt were members of the same family, most of whom are in their 50s or 60s. There was also an 18-year-old girl thrown from the porch.
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Dominican Mother’s Day is traditionally celebrated weeks after American Mother’s Day. But the joyous salute to family matriarchs ended with a frightening scene in Newark on Sunday.
It wasn't immediately clear what caused the porch to collapse so suddenly. An investigation is underway.
Another porch next door to the scene was later taped off as well, and those who live nearby want all of the porches in the series of houses inspected.
