The reporting by various news sources is not that clear, but this is what I have gathered-
Someone helped her get the doors open, at the third floor, reported to be a university employee.
As she was climbing out from the car onto the third floor, the elevator came down, and crushed her torso, killing her. As far as I know, she was not severed.

The questions I have are these-
1. What is a university employee doing, "wedging the doors open"? Is he licensed and certified to work on conveyance devices?
2. Did anyone in managment influence, directly or indirectly, this employee to attempt the "rescue"?
3. Does the University have a safety training program for it's employees, where the issue of elevators is covered, especially concerning entrapments?
4. If there was a door restrictor, was it working?
5. Should door restictors be retroactively be installed on existing installations?
6. Why did the elevator come down? Did someone open manual lowering, either an elevator man, unaware the doors had been opened? Or maybe another university johnny-on-the-spot hero was working at cross purposes with his co-hero?
7. Was the elevator company on contract called first?
8. Did a Local 18 elevator mechanic have anything to do with this death?

Such a needless death. Such ignorance.