A Penn State student who died as a result of injuries at a fraternity house fell down the basement steps on Thursday night, State College Police said on Monday.
It was previously reported that the incident occurred Friday night.
When patrol officers responded to a call at 10:49 a.m. on Friday at Beta Theta Pi fraternity on North Burrowes Street, Penn State student Timothy Piazza, a sophomore engineering student from Lebanon, N.J., was unconscious. Police were told Piazza attended a party at the fraternity Thursday night and fell down the basement steps around 11 p.m.
An ambulance transported Piazza to Mount Nittany Medical Center Friday morning. He was later flown to Hershey Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead Saturday morning by the Dauphin County coroner. Piazza’s autopsy will occur in Dauphin County.
Police said fraternity members are cooperating with the ongoing investigation and the department is obtaining video from inside the fraternity. Police also are working closely with Penn State Student Affairs.
Piazza recently accepted membership in the fraternity.
According to a statement on the fraternity chapter’s website, it has been temporarily suspended by the national Beta Theta Pi and Penn State:
‘Our chapter is mourning the loss of Tim Piazza, a student who recently accepted an invitation to join our fraternity. It is believed that Tim’s death stemmed from an accidental injury sustained from a fall in the chapter house. We are working closely with our General Fraternity to determine how this happened, and are fully cooperating with police and Penn State administrators in their own investigations. While additional statements and information will be released once confirmed, our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family during this difficult time.
‘Both the University and General Fraternity have temporarily suspended chapter operations during this period of investigation.”
