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BU med student killed in apparent fall from building

E-mail|Link September 19, 2009 05:19 PM

By Emma Rose Johnson, Globe Correspondent, and Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

A 23-year-old Boston University medical student was found fatally injured early this morning after an apparent fall from a building in the city's Allston neighborhood, Boston police said.

Officers responded to the area near Commonwealth Avenue and Walbridge Street at about 12:49 a.m. and found Babur Z. Khalique lying unconscious on the sidewalk in front of 5 Walbridge.

Khalique was transported to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead. A preliminary investigation indicated that the victim suffered an accidental fall, police said.

"He was a brilliant and engaged medical and biomedical engineering student with a promising future. His death is a great loss," Boston University said in a statement.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, classmates, and all those who knew him," the university statement said, noting that cousneling and support services would be provided to anyone who needed them.

Police said they were actively investigating and encouraged anyone with information to contact Area D-14 detectives at (617) 343-4256.

The building at 5 Walbridge is a 25-unit brick, four-story apartment building with fire escapes on the front.

It would not be the first time a young person has fallen from a building to their deaths in recent years in Boston. In March, an Emmanuel College sophomore died from an apparently accidental fall from a third-floor window in Brighton. In March 2008, an MIT senior died after falling from his fraternity house in the Back Bay. And at least three other students died from falls in 2006 and 2007.