A college homecoming celebration in Virginia took a frightening turn Friday night when a crowded deck suddenly collapsed at an off-campus house, sending dozens of partygoers to the hospital and prompting an emergency response near the historic William & Mary campus.
At least 28 people were injured in the October 23 incident, which occurred shortly after 10 p.m. at a residence on Matoaka Court in Williamsburg. What had been an evening of festivities quickly became a frightening scene as emergency crews rushed to the property and discovered that the home’s rear porch had collapsed.
According to Williamsburg officials, the first emergency call came at approximately 10:07 p.m., bringing firefighters, police officers and paramedics to the residential neighborhood about half a mile from the university.
By the following morning, 13 injured people had been transported to nearby hospitals by emergency medical personnel, while another 15 had sought treatment on their own. Authorities said none of the reported injuries were life-threatening, although the total number of people requiring medical attention was still being verified.
The collapse happened during William & Mary’s homecoming weekend, an annual tradition that draws students, graduates and visitors to Williamsburg for celebrations and reunions. According to the university’s student newspaper, The Flat Hat, members of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity and Delta Gamma sorority had gathered at the off-campus residence for a homecoming party when the accident occurred.
The house, located at 207 Matoaka Court, was reportedly rented by students. Authorities have not disclosed exactly how many people were standing on the deck when it gave way, and investigators have yet to determine what caused the structure to fail.
For neighbors living nearby, the incident brought an unsettling end to what should have been a festive Friday night.
Joshua Wise, a local resident, told WAVY-TV that news of the collapse spread rapidly through the neighborhood. Although the initial emergency response had ended by the time he returned home, he learned that one of his housemates had been helping those affected by providing transportation and making sure people could get where they needed to go.
“It was definitely a scary situation,” Wise recalled.
Another neighbor described the timing as particularly heartbreaking, noting that the accident happened during a weekend normally associated with celebration and school spirit.
As news of the injuries spread, William & Mary officials moved quickly to reassure students and families while arranging assistance for those involved.
In a message to the campus community Saturday, Ginger Ambler, the university’s senior vice president for student affairs and public safety, confirmed that several students had been injured at the off-campus property. She expressed relief that the reported injuries were not life-threatening but acknowledged that the experience could leave students shaken long after their physical injuries had healed.
Ambler said the university was coordinating support through its health and wellness services, academic assistance programs, public safety personnel and other student resources to help those affected recover and continue their studies.
She also thanked the Williamsburg Police Department, Williamsburg Fire Department and James City County Fire Department for responding to the emergency.
The incident has raised questions about the condition of the collapsed deck and whether structural problems may have contributed to the accident. Williamsburg’s Codes Compliance Division has been evaluating and inspecting the property as officials work to determine exactly what happened.
Investigators have not publicly identified a specific cause, and there has been no official finding that overcrowding, poor maintenance or a construction defect was responsible.
Meanwhile, officials have been working with Riverside Doctors’ Hospital and Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center to confirm how many injured people arrived for treatment without emergency transportation. University administrators have also acknowledged that additional students may have sought medical attention after the initial figures were released.
The collapse is an especially troubling incident for the William & Mary community, which had gathered for one of its most anticipated weekends of the academic year. Founded in 1693, the university is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and its homecoming traditions bring generations of alumni back to its Williamsburg campus.
For the students and families affected, however, this year’s celebration will be remembered for an entirely different reason.
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