Snow-Covered Awning Collapses, Falls On Massachusetts Woman

A snow-covered awning reportedly collapsed off a Medford, Massachusetts building and fell on a woman Friday (December 18) morning.

Medford Police said the victim was walking on Riverside Avenue when the metal awning, which hangs over several businesses, collapsed and fell onto her at 9:00 a.m., WCVB reports. A witness told WCVB about a dozen people rushed over to help the trapped woman out from under the awning.

"It was a loud bang. I was shocked. I ran without a mask. I ran without a jacket. I heard the girl screaming but I didn’t see her," witness Michelle Machado told WCVB. "We couldn’t move her, so we lifted the bars up, and, then, finally, the ambulance and fire department came and moved her out."

Police have not identified the victim as of Friday, but confirmed she was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital.

A record-setting first winter snow storm hit the Northeast overnight and continued Thursday (December 17) morning.

The AP reports most of Western and Central Pennsylvania had snow accumulations exceed double digits on Wednesday. Boston, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island also set new records for snowfall on December 17, with 9.1 inches of snow falling in Boston and 4.4 inches in Providence since midnight, NWS Boston reports.

Boston's previous December 17 snowfall record was 6.4 inches set in December 2013. High elevations in the Berkshires accumulated the most snow in Massachusetts, with numerous areas reporting more than a foot and heavy snowfall expected to continue through Thursday afternoon.

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