Several injured in Evanston porch collapse

EVANSTON (WLS) -- Several people were injured in a porch collapse in north suburban Evanston Monday night.

A family celebration was in full swing. Twelve people were on the second floor porch on the 1900-block of Darrow Avenue when it collapsed onto the first floor porch, officials said.

PHOTOS: Evanston porch collapses, several injured

The people on the porch fell down to the first floor porch, but pieces of wood, a hot grill and metal chairs all fell on top of them.

Some of them could not get out under their own power. A neighbor next door heard the loud boom as the porch separated from the side of the house and he ran over to help.

"I was in the house watching the basketball game, I heard a big crash, said Lawrence Mason. "The porch had fell. There was a lot of chairs, tables and the barbeque pit was hanging. There were people on the floor couldn't get up because of the chairs and the table, so I just moved some chairs, helped people out and threw the barbeque pit over to the side, that's all."

One of the people on the porch at the time of the collapse said that a number of kids who live at the house had just gone back inside, so it was mainly adults who fell.

Four people from the second-floor porch were transported to St. Francis and Evanston Hospitals with relatively minor injuries. One person on the first floor port was unhurt.

The Fire Department, as well as the Evanston Building Department, will investigate before people are allowed back in the home.