5:17 PM
Four of the people who fell as a result of a railing collapse at FedEx Field Sunday, all of whom say they suffered injuries, denied a statement by the Washington Football Team suggesting they were offered on-site medical evaluation.
Andrew Collins said that they didn't ask if anyone needed medical attention or if anyone was hurt. The staff told us to get the F off the field.
The railing on the side of the tunnel leading to the visiting locker room at FedEx Field collapsed as Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was leaving the field. A group of fans fell six feet to the ground.
The Hurts sidestepped the falling fans. He helped one individual up and asked several of them if they were okay.
Everyone involved was offered a medical evaluation and left the stadium of their own accord, according to a statement released by Washington. No one appears to have been seriously injured. The safety of our fans and guests is of paramount importance and we are looking into what happened.
There was no medical assistance offered, according to Mike Naimoli, a 26 year old from New Jersey. He said that they were told "'everybody get the F off the field' and 'they grabbed us away from Jalen and shooed us up into the stands'."
Collins and his girlfriend, 22-year-old Marissa Santarlasci, drove to the game with the other two people.
After the incident, he said he began to experience neck and arm pain, as well as a sensation in his hand that he said got trapped underneath the barricade. He went to the Inspira Medical Center in New Jersey on Sunday evening to get checked out and was fitted with a neck brace as he waited in the emergency room. He was discharged after 5 a.m. He was diagnosed with a head injury, elbow and knee contusions, and a neck strain on Monday morning.
Collins said he had lower back pain and a pulled groin, while Santarlasci and French said they had leg bruise.
French has a bruise that runs from the top of one hip bone down to her knee, and she also has bruise on her shins. The security guard pulled me up by my two arms after I jumped up because I was on top of everyone. I didn't have time to think. I was shocked.
The area where the fans congregated was designed for disabled people, and that the railing is not load-bearing and is therefore not designed to hold the weight of hundreds of pounds. The group claims that they were given access to the area by a member of stadium security, and that there was no sign that it was a restricted area.
The security guard at the bottom was asked if they could go over there. "He was like, 'Yes,'" said Naimoli. There was no documentation of the area being restricted if Washington Football Team wanted to make that claim. The security guard that was in front of that area told us to go over to the tunnel.
Brian McCarthy said in an email that the league is reviewing the matter with the club to make sure it doesn't happen again.
There were other incidents at FedEx Field this season. A small section of fans were drenched in Washington's season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
I was at the front of the railing when we went down there. Santarlasci said that he and Andrew were worried that the thing was going to collapse. As soon as Hurts came by, it collapsed. I fell down. As I was getting up, I tried to get my foot out of the railing, but the people at FedEx were just ripping the railing as my foot was still caught in it.
They didn't even ask if you're okay. Are you in need of help? Nothing. They didn't think about anything else during their day. Hurts asked, 'Are you guys OK?' It was crazy.
John Keim is a contributor to this report.
