The family of 67-year-old Florence Miller is grieving after she died following a fall on ice at the Whitehall Apartments in Frankford, a property managed by the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA).
The incident occurred last Tuesday outside the building where her 87-year-old mother resides, and Miller served as her mother’s primary caregiver.
According to Miller’s sister, Karen Miller, the fall happened just a few yards from their mother’s apartment. Florence initially got up after slipping on the icy walkway but soon struggled to breathe. Karen, a trained nurse, rushed her sister to the hospital, where she suffered cardiac arrest and died the following day.
“It’s messed up,” Karen said, recalling the harrowing moment. “I know I have post-traumatic stress about it because every day now I’m crying multiple times.”
She expressed frustration over the unsafe conditions of the walkways, which she described as still largely covered in ice even days after a recent snowstorm.
Video footage shared by the family shows the icy paths outside the apartment complex, highlighting hazards that they say remain unaddressed.
“What I would like to see done is that they take care of this,” Karen said. “I feel like they don’t care about the people because this is low-income housing.”
The tragedy has left the family concerned about how to assist their elderly mother, who is now coping with the loss of her daughter and the dangerous walkway conditions.
“I’m worried about getting my mom out for the funeral,” Karen said.
In response, the Philadelphia Housing Authority issued a statement expressing sorrow over the incident and confirming that they are reviewing the circumstances surrounding the fall. The official cause of death is pending from the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office.
The incident has raised renewed calls for winter safety measures at low-income housing properties, especially for elderly residents and those who serve as caregivers for family members.
Advocates say timely snow and ice removal is critical to prevent such tragic accidents.
