URBANA, IL — A woman found on the University of Illinois campus early Tuesday died after being taken to a local hospital, according to University of Illinois Police. Officers responded around 3 a.m. to the 1000 block of Dorner Drive near Pennsylvania Avenue after a 911 caller reported that a woman was lying on the ground in distress.
Police said the woman needed medical help when officers arrived. She was transported to a hospital, where she later died. Investigators said there is no indication of foul play, and they do not believe there is any threat to the campus community.
Police responded after 911 call reported woman in distress
The emergency began when someone called 911 and described the woman as lying on the ground and in distress, according to the university police release. Officers reached the scene in the early morning hours and quickly moved to get her medical attention.
The location was in Urbana, close to Pennsylvania Avenue, in a part of campus where university police regularly respond to calls involving students, visitors and nearby residents. Officials have not released the woman’s identity or said what led to the medical emergency.
Hospital care ended in the woman's death later Tuesday
After officers got to the scene, the woman was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police said she died later the same day. No further medical details were released, including her age or whether she was affiliated with the university.
Authorities also have not said whether weather, an underlying medical condition or any other factor played a role. At this point, police say only that the death was not the result of a crime.
University police say campus is not under threat
University of Illinois Police said there is no ongoing threat to the campus community. That message is meant to reassure students, faculty and staff that investigators do not believe the incident points to danger for people on campus.
The department has not announced any additional scene details or asked the public for help. Because police say foul play is not suspected, the case appears to be centered on confirming the circumstances surrounding the medical emergency and the woman’s death.
Officials have not released more details about the woman
Police said no other details have been released. That leaves open basic questions about who the woman was, what happened before she was found and how long she had been on the ground before the 911 call came in.
The university police release did not say whether next of kin had been notified. It also did not provide a timeline for any further updates from investigators or campus officials.
Separate campus death last month drew a coroner's review
The same campus was the site of another death last month when a man later identified as Alex C. Rodriguez, 29, was found near the Alma Mater statue. Police said no foul play was detected in that case either.
The Champaign County Coroner’s Office had an autopsy scheduled last week, and police said Rodriguez was not affiliated with the university. That earlier incident is separate from Tuesday’s death, but it underscores how campus officials have recently had to respond to multiple fatal emergencies in the same area.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
