BELLEVILLE, N.J. (WCBS 880) -- A 72-year-old man died Tuesday after falling three stories from a New Jersey hospital window, authorities said.
He was found unresponsive on the ground just after 6 a.m. outside Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, officials said.
The man, who had been in the hospital for about six months, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Belleville police Detective Lt. John McAloon.
There were also several bedsheets and blankets tied together, forming a makeshift rope that hung out the window, authorities said.
“Officers observed several bedsheets and blankets tied together forming a makeshift rope coming from a third-floor window,” McAloon said.
The incident happened on a floor designated for long-term care but the man wasn’t under a special watch that would have prevented him from leaving the hospital through the front doors at any time, McAloon said.
“We subpoenaed the medical records to find out why he was there. It takes some time to get back,” McAloon added.
"Clara Maass Medical Center is fully committed to providing a safe environment for our patients, visitors and staff. Per our policy, we are unable to comment any further on active police investigations," a hospital spokesperson said in a statement.
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