Woman Dies in Fall From Apartment Balcony

Police Believe Woman Was Locked Out, Trying to Gain Entry

A 45-year-old woman who locked herself out of her apartment in Hagerstown, Md., fell to her death early Monday after apparently trying to climb down to her seventh-floor unit from above, Hagerstown police said.

The incident occurred about 3 a.m. at Walnut Towers, an eight-story building operated by the Hagerstown housing authority for elderly and disabled people. Sgt. Paul Kifer of the Hagerstown police said the woman, whose identity was not released immediately, was disabled. The nature of her disability was not specified.

He said authorities believed the woman tried to reach the balcony of her apartment from an eighth-floor common area balcony.

Investigators "think she tried to climb down onto the balcony and obviously fell," Kifer said.

He said the woman apparently did not realize that her keys were not in her purse when she last left her apartment. After police gained access, the keys were found inside, he said.

"We believe this was just a freak accident, " Kifer said. "Just a terrible tragedy."