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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) – A professor from Boston University died Saturday after an apparent fall from a set of unsafe stairs near an MBTA station in Boston.
The 40-year-old professor was identified as David K. Jones of Milton. His body was found dead after he reportedly fell from a rusted-out staircase close to the JFK station on the Red Line.
State police said they were notified by MBTA Transit Police around 1:30 Saturday afternoon that a body had been found across from the station on Old Colony Avenue.
A passerby reportedly saw the body earlier in the day on the stairway that connects Old Colony to the Columbia Road overpass. State police found a gap in the stairs where Jones’ body was found.
The stairs had reportedly been deemed unsafe by the MBTA and have been closed for the last 20 months. State police believe the incident occurred after Jones went on a run earlier in the day.
The Boston Globe reported that Jones was an associate professor in the Boston University School of Public Health.
The school announced Jones’ death on Sunday. A statement from another faculty member said the school held a space for faculty and staff on Monday and will also hold a space for students on Tuesday.
“Resources will be made available throughout the coming week, and we will plan to follow up in the coming days with details for a memorial to best celebrate his life and spirit,” they said.
A GoFundMe page was set up for Jones’ family, which includes his wife Sarah, who is recovering from cancer, and their three children Olivia, Anne, and Thomas.
As of Monday morning the page had raised $42,000 of its $50,000 goal.
WBZ's James Rojas (@JamesRojasWBZ) has more:
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