A 56-year-old woman died after falling into an open maintenance hole in Midtown Manhattan. She parked a Mercedes-Benz SUV near Fifth Avenue and East 52nd Street and fell in shortly before 11:30 p.m. Firefighters pulled her out and she was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Con Edison said surveillance footage appeared to show the hole cover was dislodged by a multi-axle truck that drove over it about 12 minutes earlier. The site was not blocked off and there were no signs of work. Witnesses reported the cover was near the hole and the inside appeared very hot. The incident raised concerns about maintenance hole safety in New York City.
"The utility company Con Edison said surveillance camera footage appeared to show that the hole cover was dislodged by a multi-axle truck that drove over it about 12 minutes before the woman fell in. "We are reviewing the details, and while this is a rare occurrence, manhole covers can get displaced by heavy vehicles. Our thoughts remain with her family, and safety remains our top priority," a company spokesperson said in a statement."
"The woman, Donike Gocaj, parked her Mercedes-Benz SUV right next to the maintenance hole Monday night near the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan and fell in after exiting the vehicle shortly before 11:30 p.m., police said. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital after firefighters pulled her out."
"Carlton Wood told the New York Post that he saw the woman fall into the hole after she walked a couple of steps away from her vehicle. He said he ran over and called 911. He estimated she fell 10 to 15 feet (3 to 5 meters). "She was just in the hole, screaming that she was dying. Over and over she was like, 'I'm dying, I'm dying,'" said the New Jersey resident."
"Wood said the site was not blocked off, there were no signs of work and the cover was near the hole, where it appeared very hot inside. New Yorkers say falling into maintenance holes is among their concerns about living in the city. "There was a couple manhole incidents nearby where I live," said city resident Brady Metzger. "It is a big fear. I mean, I'm more scared of getting pushed into the (subway) tracks than "
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