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Woman dead after carport collapses in Weymouth

WEYMOUTH, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) – One woman died after a carport collapsed in Weymouth Thursday afternoon.

Firefighters responded to 18 Harlem Road for reports of a carport collapsing just before 2 p.m.

Officials say Jenna Flaherty, 29, was knocked unconscious as a result of the collapse. Firefighters found her on the ground near the steps and entry to the house.

Fire officials said the carport "appeared to have collapsed pancake style."

A neighbor said the carport was in good condition, and she thinks the weight of the snow may have caused the damage.

"It didn't seem rickety, it seemed alright," neighbor Rose Lanahan said.

Weymouth Building Inspector Jeffrey Richards confirmed that the snow was partly to blame.

"Yes, the loading of the snow has clearly attributed to the collapse of the carport," he said.

Flaherty, who shared the home with her grandfather and a another man, was transported to South Shore Hospital and later pronounced dead. The hospital is not saying whether she died on impact or in the hospital.

Flaherty had been turning her life around after addiction problems and her friends and family are shocked by what happened to the young woman. James Coull described himself as a father figure to Flaherty. He says she called him dad, and they shared a special bond.

"How freaky can that get, you know? You walk outside and the roof collapses on you," Coull said.

He went on to say, "We laughed. I'm telling you if you could sit in a room with us and watch the two of us just laugh and joke about the stupidest things. And her laugh was just contagious."