A building collapsed in Poughkeepsie Monday afternoon, trapping a woman in her first-floor dress boutique for over four hours, according to police.
Poughkeepsie police say the vacant seven-story apartment building at 17 Academy St. crumbled just after 4 p.m. Part of it fell on a three-story apartment building next door, 15 Academy St. That building fell too, trapping Rotanya Hargrove inside the ground-level shop.
Fire Chief Mark Johnson said the woman was awake and alert while rescuers tried to reach her. Initially, she was buried up to her waist in bricks and other debris. After several hours of work, her right leg remained pinned under a heavy object.
An ambulance was ready to take her to the hospital as soon as firefighters pulled her free. The extent of her injuries was not immediately released.