Campus crash
By: Yann Ranaivo, Staff Reporter
and Trey Heath, Managing Editor
Issue date: 2/1/07 Section: News
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Maureen Fitzgerald, 27, was visiting The University of Memphis campus when witnesses saw her Nissan pick-up fall from the top of the parking garage shortly after 2 p.m.
"I heard tires squeal, and I heard something hitting something," said Chris Vurguss, physical education major. "Then I saw the cement fall and the car topple over the edge."
Fitzgerald was trapped in her car for nearly 40 minutes while six firefighters worked to free her with the Jaws of Life. The truck's airbags deployed, according to witnesses.
Campus Police would not comment on why Fitzgerald's car ended up falling five stories, and University of Memphis communication director Curt Guenther said any explanation of how the accident happened is speculation.
"Why and how this happened are things that we don't have answers to right now," he said.
According to Campus Police, Fitzgerald was the only injury despite several pieces of debris that fell during the accident.
Angie Null, a senior dietetics major, was exiting the Zach Curlin parking garage after her last class when she saw the truck fall.
"I heard somebody scream, but I don't know if it was either the wheel screeching or that lady screaming," she said.
Richard Lee, a witness and junior pre-nursing major, said that Null was lucky that the pick-up did not hit her car.
"It barely missed (Null's) car sitting right there," he said.
Tennessee Highway Patrol will lead the investigation with support from Campus Police to determine how Fitzgerald's truck was able to break through the barrier, Guenther said.
The Daily Helmsman went to the fifth floor and found no skid marks where the pick-up drove off. The white concrete wall was broken out, and three large pieces of it fell in front of the police services' main entrance. The metal bolts holding the wall remained intact.
Debris from the fifth floor wall was found on the fourth floor of the parking garage.
Campus Police refused to allow The Daily Helmsman photographer access for pictures of the damage on the fifth floor.
University officials said as of Wednesday night Fitzgerald was conscious and talking and should be able to provide more details on the accident after she has recovered.
Staff reporter Kendall Jones contributed to this story.