A mass-casualty incident was declared and four people were hospitalized after a roof holding some 40 partygoers collapsed during an early St. Patrick’s Day celebration near Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Saturday morning, according to the local police department.
The incident occurred at a celebration attended by more than a 1,000 students in the 300 block of Hathaway Avenue (map), according to the San Luis Obispo Fire Department. The location is less than 1/2 a mile south of the university campus.
About 30 to 40 people were standing on top of a garage structure when it collapsed, causing at least eight injuries, a San Luis Obispo Police Department news release stated.
One of those injured was impaled in the thigh by a piece of wood, the release stated. They were considered moderately injured.
Four other people were hospitalized, police said. The extent of their injuries and their conditions were not known.
Responding officials declared a mass-casualty incident and area law enforcement agencies helped police clear the streets and “quell the unruly behavior,” the news release stated.
Three people were also arrested in the area for alcohol and drug-related crimes, police Lt. Jeff Smith said. The arrests were not connected to the roof collapse, he added.
Responding units included personnel from the city’s fire and police departments, CalFire, the California Highway Patrol, Cal Poly University Police Department, Atascadero Police Department and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.
