Festivities of UW's annual Homecoming Parade were marred Friday night when a Madison woman was hospitalized after falling off a parade float.
Police said the woman, 22, fell off the Society of Women Engineers float on the 100 block of Langdon Street where she was then run over by the double axle trailer.
According to Madison Police Department Sergeant Paul Jacobsen, the woman was transported to UW hospital with serious injuries.
""The investigation is still underway,"" Madison Police Department Lieutenant Mary Lou Ricksecker said. ""I don't know there is any indication that would lead us to believe it was anything other than an accident.""
Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said it looks like the woman will make a full recovery.
Resnick said the city does not have any policies regarding floats, but he is ""very confident the city will start looking to see if this was an isolated incident"" and will most likely draw up a parade float policy.
""While the homecoming parade is festive and draws a lot of folks downtown, we need to make sure it is done in a safe and fun environment,"" Resnick said. ""But right now the focus is on the victim and her recovery.""
UW-Madison's annual Homecoming Parade started at 6 p.m. Friday evening, resulting in the closure of Langdon, State and Gilman streets downtown and drawing in thousands of spectators.
In addition, the Bucky Wagon made its first appearance since 2001 when the Athletic Department deemed it unsafe out of fear cheerleaders could fall off the truck or that it could run over band members, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
—Taylor Harvey
