Student falls from 3rd-floor window

A University student fell from an open downtown apartment window yesterday morning in an alcohol-related incident, State College Police Department said. The student, who was subsequently taken to Conemaugh Valley Memorial Hospital in Johnstown for treatment, was listed in good condition last night, said a hospital spokeswoman.

The incident was the second alcohol-related fall in less than two weeks involving a University student.

Police said Nigut consumed a large quantity of beer -- a witness estimated he drank 12 cans of beer -- between 8 p.m. and midnight Tuesday.

Nigut was then involved in an argument with his girlfriend in her apartment, during which he opened her window and removed the screen, police said. He then threatened to jump out the window, police added.

His girlfriend was able to pull him off the window ledge once, but when he returned to the window ledge a second time, "she could not get to him in time and he tumbled out of the window," according to a State College Police Department news release.

Nigut's 30-foot fall was partially broken when he fell onto the soft top of a Jeep Wrangler, police said. His fall broke the passenger-side window upon impact, police added.

Nigut was first taken to Centre Community Hospital for examination and then sent to the Conemaugh Valley Memorial Hospital for treatment of serious head injuries, police said. He sustained some facial fractures and underwent tests to determine if surgery would be needed, police added.

Hannah Duttera (senior-administration of justice), who lives in the apartment below Nigut's girlfriend, said she was awakened by commotion from the apartment above prior to the fall.

"We heard a lot of thumps on the ceiling and it sounded like a girl was really upset," Duttera said.

The next thing Duttera heard was a woman scream and the sound of glass breaking, she said.

The window from which Nigut fell was open, so the sound of glass breaking may have come from the Jeep's passenger-side mirror, police said.

Duttera's roommate, Erin Datesman, said she also heard what sounded like a struggle in the apartment above.

"I heard a woman screaming 'No! No!' then after he fell she was yelling for someone to call 911," Datesman said.

Another neighbor, Mario Ragazzone (senior-business logistics), said he heard a scream and glass breaking from inside his second floor apartment.

Police have not released the apartment number from which Nigut fell.

Criminal investigators were called to the scene last night, police said. Police have ruled out the possibility of foul play and have not determined if either a suicide attempt or reckless behavior was the cause of the fall.

The incident "will be followed up very rigorously," said State College Police Department Cpl. J.T. Gardner yesterday.

The Apartment Store, which owns Carlton Apartments, referred questions to Mary Frantz, vice president of property management for Keystone Real Estate Group, 444 E. Beaver Ave.

Frantz did not return a phone call yesterday.

In a similar accident almost two weeks ago, University junior Leigh Anne Prevatte fell to her death from a sixth-floor Alexander Court, 309 E. Beaver Ave., apartment window. That incident, which occurred on the morning of Feb. 2, was also alcohol-related. Police are still awaiting Prevatte's toxicology reports.

Nigut, who lives at 134 E. Foster Avenue, is an agriculture student from Irwin.