3 Men Injured When Balcony Collapses at The Grove Apartments in Denton, TX

3 men in their 20s (Tony Garcia, Grant Draper and Garrett Draper) suffered severe injuries onSaturday, September 2, 2011 when a balcony at The Grove apartments in Denton, TX collapsed beneath them during a birthday party celebration. The 3 men had stepped out to the balcony to smoke when the balcony at The Grove in Denton collapsed. The sudden balcony collapse sent the 3 men plummeting 3 stories down to the concrete below. One of the men was unresponsive when rescuers arrived. At least one man complained of broken bones, and one received treatment for possible head injuries. One of the men was trapped underneath the balcony’s metal railing until others could lift the metal away. All 3 men went to a Fort Worth hospital on CareFlight.

Witnesses say that other people had ventured out onto the balcony over the course of the evening before it collapsed. Residents of The Grove in Denton, TX say that their apartments were carelessly finished and without amenities when they moved in shortly before the balcony collapse. Some suggest that the apartments, catering to the local student market, were hastily constructed and finished so that they could open before the start of the fall semester. The apartments had opened their doors to residents just weeks before this Denton, TX balcony collapse that injured 3 men.

The Grove in Denton, TX forms part of a widespread group of student apartment complexes owned by Campus Crest, based in North Carolina. Spokespersons for The Grove in Denton and Campus Crest state that the balconies like the one that collapsed underneath Mr. Garcia and the 2 Draper men were intended only as decorative, aesthetic touches. These spokespersons state that the balconies are non-weight bearing structures. They remain silent as to whether they informed apartment residents and guests of this condition.

Photos of the apartment where the balcony collapsed show that there are two functional doors that lead out onto the balcony. The presence of two good doors, inviting people towards the balcony, tends to contradict statements that they didn’t intend the balconies to be actually used. Photos also reveal indications of inadequate mounting of the balcony to the apartment building.

We hope for full and rapid recoveries for the 3 injured men who remain hospitalized. We are relieved that their injuries were not even more severe after falling 3 stories unexpectedly to the concrete below. What a disastrous end to a collegiate birthday celebration. We also hold their friends and family in our thoughts. They must be suffering in the wake of the tragic balcony collapse accident. And we hope that residents of The Grove in Denton know to stay off of their unsound balconies. Fall semesters in college are traditionally times of new hope, new prospects and exciting new horizons. These new beginnings should not be marred by unnecessary tragedy because someone cut corners on putting up a balcony.

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