Fans deny Washington Football Team statement regarding on-site medical assistance

The Washington Football Team says it treated all fans who fell from a FedEx Field barricade. The fans dispute that recollection.

As Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was leaving FedEx Field following his team’s 20-16 win over the Washington Football Team on Sunday, a barricade at Washington’s home stadium aside the visiting team’s tunnel collapsed, and multiple fans fell onto the field — a distance of about six feet. Hurts was able to sidestep the falling fans, and he was not hurt.

According to a report by ESPN’s Tim McManus and John Keim, a source said that Prince George’s County EMS personnel were on the scene within five minutes and treated those who required medical attention, and that the EMS personnel on staff weren’t aware of anyone else who needed aid.

After the incident, the team released the following statement:

But multiple fans who spoke with McManus dispute the team’s statement, saying that they were not offered medical assistance.

Mike Naimoli, a 26-year-old from Sicklerville, New Jersey, called that statement “completely incorrect,” saying that there was no medical assistance offered. Instead, he said they were told, “‘Everybody get the F off the field,’ and [they] quickly grabbed us away from Jalen and shooed us up into the stands.”

Naimoli and his fiancée, 24-year-old Morgan French, also of Sicklerville, drove to the game with Collins and his girlfriend, 22-year-old Marissa Santarlasci.

Naimoli, who is seen on the video in the green Hurts jersey, said he began experiencing neck and arm pain, as well as a tingling sensation in the hand that he said got trapped underneath the barricade, shortly after the incident. He went to the Inspira Medical Center in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, Sunday evening to get checked out, and was fitted with a neck brace as he waited in the emergency room, he said. When he was discharged after 5:30 a.m. Monday, he was diagnosed with a cervical strain and a head injury along with elbow and knee contusions, documents show.

Collins said he was experiencing lower back pain and a pulled groin Monday, while Santarlasci and French said they suffered substantial leg bruising.

Santarlasci said that the only person on-site who asked whether the falling fans were okay was Hurts.

In an e-mail to ESPN, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said, “We are reviewing the matter with the club to understand what happened and to ensure it does not happen again.”

At this point, all the team has done is to zip-tie the barricade in question.