'Inch away from death.' TV tossed from frat house roof nearly lands on woman, videos show
Videos that show a TV being tossed from atop a fraternity house at the University of Wisconsin in Madison have prompted an investigation by local police.
The videos, taken from different angles and posted to Instagram on Sunday, show that the bulky TV came within inches of hitting a young woman walking below.
She was talking on her cellphone and appeared unaware that a TV was hurtling toward her head until it smashed onto the ground next to her. Pieces of TV went flying.
People in the crowd watching the incident could be heard gasping and cursing as the TV just barely missed her.
Some of the guys in the crowd ran to the smashed TV and jumped on top of it.
"This girl was an inch away from death," says the caption on one of the videos.
The caption on the other video reads: “Stay alert for potentially dangerous objects being thrown off the roof."
The woman in the video, unidentified as of yet, told WQOW in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, she suffered cuts and bruises on her hand.
“This incident is deeply concerning, and we are working to confirm precisely where and when it happened so appropriate action can be taken,” university spokeswoman Meredith McGlone said in a statement to the Wisconsin State Journal and other local media.
Police were contacted about the Instagram videos and believe the incident happened sometime over the weekend, Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain told the Journal.
Authorities haven't said whether anyone involved in the incident will face charges, local media reported.
Early reports did not identify the fraternity involved. But on Tuesday, The Daily Cardinal student newspaper reported that the national Kappa Sigma organization has suspended the house in Madison over the incident.
Members of the fraternity would not comment, the Cardinal reported.
Joe Skinner, a neighbor who lives in the area, told WQOW he wasn't surprised something like that happened, given the area's party reputation. He told the TV station he's ready to move out.
"The fact that it was a TV and it was so close to that person surprises me but I mean, I've seen things laying around here that appeared to have been thrown from rooftops, kind of a lot," he told the TV station.
Student organizations are responsible for maintaining the health and safety of their members and guests, McGlone said in her statement to media.
“If they do not, they are held accountable through the student organization code of conduct,” she said in the statement. “Given the clear risk to individual safety in this case, the university response will reflect the seriousness of the act.”