Atlanta

Woman hit in head after chair is thrown from hotel's 10th floor

By Rikki Klaus
By Rikki Klaus

ATLANTA — A woman is recovering from head injuries after a chair hit her in the head early Sunday morning.

Police said around 1:30 a.m. chairs and bottles were thrown from the Marriott Marquis hotel in downtown Atlanta.

Authorities said Kelly McDaniel was walking in a first floor area of the hotel when one of the chairs hit her in the head.

McDaniel heard loud pops and felt something wet and warm gushing down here face.

"It was just so much blood," she told Channel 2's Rikki Klaus .

She was taken to the hospital where she received two staples, police say.

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McDaniel was attending DragonCon this weekend. Event organizers tell us 82,000 people are expected to attend the pop culture convention during the four-day event.

Paramedics rushed her to the hospital dressed in a Loki costume from the Avengers movies. McDaniel thinks the costume helped lessen the blow from the chair.

"I really think that saved my life," she said.

McDaniel was one of two women who were hurt, police say. Both women were treated at the hospital and released. McDaniel is urging witnesses to call police.

“I think they need to punished by the law for assault with a deadly weapon. I could have been really hurt,” she said.

The Marriott Marquis is one of DragonCon’s host hotels. The Director of Media Relations for DragonCon sent Channel 2 the following statement:

Two women at Dragon Con were injured at the convention early Sunday morning when two chairs were dropped from an outside balcony on the 10th floor in the Marriott to a landing below. The women were treated and released at separate hospitals.

We are grateful that the injuries were not more severe.  And we are proud of the Dragon Con attendees who stepped up quickly, realized the severity of the situation and provided immediate assistance. 

Atlanta Police Department is investigating.

The hotel told Channel 2 Action News it has taken measures to make sure this doesn't happen again but wouldn't elaborate on the details.

Downtown Atlanta was filled with visitors this Labor Day weekend with DragonCon, the Chick-fil-A Game, the first big game inside Mercedes-Benz stadium, and Atlanta Black Gay Pride weekend.

Cox Media Group

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