A Student Athlete Crushed to Death When Elevator Malfunctions

(Atlanta) A Champion Prep Academy aspiring football athlete has succumbed to injuries sustained when a student housing building's elevator malfunctioned, dropping the student to the bottom of the elevator shaft.

19-year-old Champion Prep Academy student Jaumarcus McFarland died from injuries sustained from an elevator that trapped and crushed him Tuesday afternoon.

Three students boarded the only functioning elevator in the building located at 444 Highland as they headed to practice. The three men boarded the elevator near the top floor.

According to the two surviving men, after boarding, the elevator started to jerk and felt like it was falling but stopped and opened normally on the 3rd floor of the building. Each, a bit startled, tried to escape the elevator as fast as they could when the doors opened. Two of the students were able to get off the elevator, Jaumarcus wasn't able to in time. The elevator plunged to the ground leaving him trapped between the bottom floor of the elevator shaft and the top of the elevator.

It took emergency personnel an hour to get McFarland out. He was rushed next door to Atlanta Medical Center.

Residents had complained about the elevator to the building management, but management never responded to the complaints.

One resident, concerned over the condition of the building's only useable elevator, took a photo of the elevator's last inspection certificate because the elevator didn't seem to be functioning properly and wanted proof that it had been one year since its last inspection. The only other elevator in the building has been out of service.

Champion Prep Academy canceled Thursday night's game.