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Davenport Building Collapse: 3 Men Died of Blunt-Force Trauma & Asphyxiation

Photos of the three men who died when their apartments collapsed on May 28th, 2023
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City of Davenport
Photos of the three men who died when their apartments collapsed on May 28th, 2023

That's according to the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner which also concluded the deaths were accidental.

The agency says 42-year-old Branden Colvin, 51-year-old Ryan Hitchcock, and 60-year-old Daniel Prien all suffered multiple crush injuries and mechanical asphyxiation. That's when an object or body position prevents a person from breathing.

The May 28th, 2023 partial collapse of the century-old, six-story brick building on Davenport's Main Street injured several people and displaced dozens of people. An investigation is being conducted to determine the cause of the deadly collapse.

City documents show residents were allowed to stay in the building, despite many warnings that the building was unstable. Those warnings were issued by structural engineers, masons, city inspectors, and tenants over several months.

Several lawsuits have been filed accusing the city and building owner Andrew Wold, among others, of neglecting residents’ safety.

In June, Wold pleaded guilty to a civil infraction asserting that he did not maintain safe conditions at the building.

Officially, Michelle's title for 28 years was WVIK News Editor. She did everything there is to do in the newsroom and whatever was needed around the radio station. She also served as Acting News Director from September 2023 - January 2024.
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