North Jersey Girl Dies in Fall from Philly Parking Garage

Former Northern Highlands track and soccer star Madison Holleran took her own life on Friday in Philadelphia where she had been attending the University of Pennsylvania.

Madison Holleran (University of Pennsylvania Track & Field)

The 19-year-old jumped off the roof of a parking garage in Center City according to the Record.

Friends and family in both Philadelphia and her hometown of Allendale were shocked and saddened by her death.

“As our school community mourns the loss of Madison, we extend our love and prayers to the Holleran family as they grieve and we respect their privacy during this extremely difficult time," said Northern Highlands Principal Joseph Occhino in a statement to the newspaper, adding that counseling will be made available to students and staff.

Penn President Amy Gutmann echoed those sentiments in a separate statement. “She was bright and well-liked with an incredible future ahead of her. There are simply no words that can properly convey the sense of heartache that we all feel at such a tragic loss," she told the Daily Pennsylvanian, which reports Holleran’s death is the third undergraduate death since the start of winter break in December.

Holleran was an accomplished athlete and was the 2013 New Jersey State Outdoor Meet of Champions winner in the 800 meters, was named Indoor Track Athlete of the Year by The Record, and served as Captain of both track and soccer teams according to her biography on the University of Pennsylvania website where she was enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences.

She was a member of the school's College of Arts and Sciences.