Man Dies After Escalator Fall at Miller Park

By Rachelle Bowden in News on Aug 2, 2004 3:10PM

On Thursday, shortly after the start of the Brewers/Cubs game at Miller Park, James Kolata fell 17 feet from an escalator. On Friday, the 48 year-old man from Madison died from the injuries he sustained. Kolata was sitting on the escalator handrail while going from the field level to the second level when he fell. He suffered fractures to his skull and back and also had a collapsed lung. It is not known if Kolata was drinking or if alcohol was a factor in the accident.

Last month, a man at Miller Park was injured when he fell while trying to slide down an escalator handrail during a game. That man had been drinking, according to officials.

Chicagoist thinks the lesson to be learned is not to mess around on escalators, especially if you've been drinking. We sometimes have problems just stepping on or off the escalator let alone messing around on the handrail. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that more than 7,000 people are treated each year for injuries caused by escalators. Staying safe on escalators is mostly common sense, but if you need a refresher, safetyworld.com provides an escalator safety tip list. Also interesting is How Escalators Work.