The University of Washington Police Department said officers responded to an area north of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering Building after receiving reports that the woman slipped and fell and sustained a serious head injury.
Police said they have not yet confirmed whether the student slipped on ice.
“Sidewalk closed” signs were placed Wednesday afternoon in the area near where the student fell. UW police said the signs were not in place at the time of the fall and that the student did not slip and fall on a closed sidewalk.
“It’s icy in spots,” said UW senior Connor Hughes. “I think that everybody is a little devastated to hear it. It’s kind of hard to process, too.”
University of Washington spokesperson Victor Balta released this statement to KIRO-TV:
"This general area and other major walkways around campus were treated to create pathways with sand and de-icing salt in preparation for resuming operations Wednesday. There are areas where ice remains and we continue to urge people to avoid spots that have not been completely cleared. UWPD's investigation is ongoing to determine the specific cause of this accident."
UW police detectives are investigating the incident. The university sent an alert to students and staff about the response on Wednesday morning.
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