As students, alumni and Madison residents lined the sidewalks to watch the annual Homecoming parade, a woman participating in the event was rushed to the hospital after she fell from the second level of a float and was hit by a double axle trailer.

A report from the Madison Police Department said the 23-year-old woman was transported to the University of Wisconsin Hospital with serious injuries and officers are still investigating the incident.

Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said although the victim was in serious condition and suffered a severe fracture, medical professionals have reported she will likely make a full recovery.

He said the accident occurred on the 100 block of Langdon Street and the call for assistance was placed at 7:07 p.m., when the parade was nearing its conclusion with only about 10 organizations’ floats remaining.

Although the incident occurred more than an hour after its 6:00 p.m. start time, Resnick said there were likely attendees of the event that witnessed the accident.

Resnick said the street was closed off for around three hours as medical personnel arrived and MPD officers worked to clear the scene. The owner of the trailer also arrived to tow the vehicle away.

As a part of the police department’s ongoing investigation, he said officers will look to pinpoint the cause of the incident in hopes of improving safety measures at future events.

“[The investigation] will hopefully help organizers create a more safe environment for parades and other events downtown,” Resnick said.

He added while the use of alcohol before events is a general safety concern on campus, preliminary reports indicate alcohol did not play a role in the incident.

MPD Lt. Mary Ricksecker said the incident is atypical because it did not involve a collision and officers will investigate what lead up to the victim falling from the float.

“We don’t believe alcohol was a factor in the incident,” she said. “Whenever someone is seriously injured, it’s always a possibility that citations will be issued.”

Members of the UW Homecoming parade planning committee declined to comment on the safety policies in place for the event.