Three to four reported incidents of elevator crashes were reported to campus safety on Jan. 24, according to Sergeant Humberto Candelario, who said that campus safety is currently unsure of what is causing the incidents.
Three to four reported incidents of elevator crashes were reported to campus safety on Jan. 24, according to Sergeant Humberto Candelario, who said that campus safety is currently unsure of what is causing the incidents.
An elevator in the Mundelein Center filled with students unexpectedly fell five floors around 12:45 p.m. Jan. 24. The crash propelled students into “free fall” for more than five minutes before finally stopping on floor four, Ganshert said.
After being advised to call 911 by services reached through the elevator emergency call button, students were transferred to a fire department who told them there was “nothing they could do.”
The operators of the emergency call button could not be identified or reached by The Phoenix before publication.
In a statement to The Phoenix, Loyola spokesperson Matt McDermott said the elevator was not falling because there was no damage, but was likely an instance of hard braking.
An officer on the scene, Sergeant Humberto Candelario, said Campus Safety received three to four reported incidents of elevator breakdowns and said it’s currently unclear what is causing these accidents.
Campus Safety tested the elevator and a technician inspected it on Jan. 25. The elevator is still in service. In a recent Instagram post, Loyola Facilities said staff from both departments rode the car up and down repeatedly and were not able to recreate the issue.
Ganshert said the elevator repeatedly kept rising multiple floors, then dropping back down to floor one. According to Ganshert, no injuries occurred from the crash.
“It was most certainly in free fall,” Ganshert said. “It felt like the Tower of Terror.”
Loyola facilities said the car did not experience free fall.
“The reported issue was likely an instance of hard braking, which causes the car to stop abruptly. While completely safe, the elevators in Mundelein Center may occasionally feel less smooth than elevators in modern buildings.”
Ganshert alerted Campus Safety after exiting the elevator. It is unclear if Campus Safety was notified when students pressed the emergency call button.
Similar incidents occurred in 2022, with students experiencing abrupt breakdowns in elevators throughout the Mundelein Center.
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