Man Killed in Stairwell Collapse at New London Apartment Building

The New London fire marshal was at an apartment complex this morning to investigate the day after a 32-year-old man was killed when a porch and stairwell collapsed.

Police and medical personnel responded to 23 North Hawthorne Drive around 4:30 p.m. on Monday after a rusted stairwell collapsed in a multi-residence apartment building.

The man had been on the stairs in the rear of the building when they collapsed, police said. Emergency crews found him suffering from severe head trauma.

The victim was rushed to Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London, where he was pronounced dead in the emergency room.

He has been identified as Jonathan Deptulski, 32, of Uncasville.

"You don't expect a set of stairs to fall apart while you're on them," said Mike Matovic, who lives next door. "It's something you kind of take for granted."

The city of New London Building Department has condemned the apartment building because the collapsed stairwell was the only secondary exit from the apartments, according to police.

The building is part of a larger apartment complex and houses six residences, according to police.

Officials said they plan to inspect all of the porches and stairways at the complex.

NBC Connecticut has reached out to the owner of the complex, but he has not returned our calls.

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