Worker dies after 25-foot fall from high school roof in North Carolina, officials say
A worker died after plunging 25 feet from the roof of a North Carolina high school, officials said.
Manuel Montellano was rushed to a hospital after he was found passed out near the school’s auditorium. The 45-year-old Winston-Salem man later was pronounced dead, according to the Eden Police Department.
Officers were called to Morehead High School early Wednesday, April 26. While at the scene, first responders said they treated Montellano before he was taken to nearby UNC Health-Rockingham.
In response to a request for more information, the N.C. Department of Labor told McClatchy News in an email that it launched an inspection. A person who answered a phone number listed for the company that reported the incident to the state agency hung up on a McClatchy News reporter who requested comment.
Rockingham County Schools didn’t share additional details about the incident with McClatchy News but wrote on Twitter that a fall had occurred on its Morehead campus.
“The person involved in the accident was neither a staff nor student at Rockingham County Schools,” the district wrote April 26. “A contractor was on the roof of a classroom building and descended uncontrollably.”
Students who may have experienced impacts from the incident were able to leave school early, and counseling services were provided, the school district told WXII and WFMY.
Eden police also continue to investigate the death but don’t suspect foul play. People with information are asked to call officers at 336-623-9755, 336-623-9240 or Crime Stoppers at 336-349-9683.
Eden is roughly 30 miles north of Greensboro.
This story was originally published April 27, 2023 at 2:38 PM with the headline "Worker dies after 25-foot fall from high school roof in North Carolina, officials say."
