Lighting falls from Tropicana, misses woman
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - June 11, 2008 A 10-foot-long lighting fixture broke loose from the side of a
building containing a parking garage as well as shops and
restaurants, and plummeted several hundred feet to the street,
narrowly missing the woman underneath.
The fixture fell from just below the roof of the 28-story
building and crashed in the middle of the adjacent street. Another
piece dangled in the wind, prompting police to cordon the area off
and temporarily prevent about a dozen cars from leaving the garage.
An Associated Press reporter who had just left the casino
witnessed the incident.
"I heard a noise and saw shattering all around me and I just
ran," said the woman, who had to dodge debris including small
wires and pieces of plastic.
The woman and her husband, who live in Bucks County, Pa., spoke
only on the condition that they not be named. Her husband said they
were guests of the hotel and he frequently does business with it.
He said if anyone had been driving by at that moment, they could
have been killed.
"That was one lucky lady," said city resident Raymond Larry,
who passed by shortly afterward. "God was with her today."
Tropicana spokeswoman Diane Spiers said no work was being done
on the building at the time, and that the fixture simply gave way
and fell off. Repair crews immediately began working on a second
piece that was left dangling, and an investigation was started into
how it happened.
"We're just very thankful that no one was hurt," she said.
It was the latest in a series of troubles that has befallen the
Tropicana in recent years.
In 2003, a parking garage under construction collapsed, killing
four workers and injuring 36 others.
In April, several people were hurt when an overcrowded elevator
at the Tropicana quickly descended and came to a sudden stop.
About two weeks ago, a crane carrying two window washers
cleaning the side of the building toppled over, forcing
firefighters to engage in an aerial rescue using ropes lowered from
the top of the building.
In December, the state stripped the Tropicana's former owners of
their casino license, citing poor performance regarding
cleanliness, service and compliance with state regulations. The
property, which includes New Jersey's largest hotel at 2,129 rooms,
is now for sale.