Grandmother dies after stepping out of car into open New York City manhole

New York: A 56-year-old grandmother fell into an open manhole on a busy New York City street and died, police and utility officials said as they investigated how it could have happened.

Donike Gocaj parked her Mercedes-Benz SUV right next to the maintenance hole near the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan and then fell in after leaving the vehicle shortly before 11.30pm on Monday (US time), police said.

She was pronounced dead at a local hospital after firefighters pulled her out.

Police had not released the woman’s identity on Tuesday afternoon, but the city’s media, including The New York Times, named her as Gocaj, of Briarcliff Manor in Westchester County.

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 she 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 accident happened in an upscale shopping area that includes a Cartier store and is about four blocks from Trump Tower.

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 up to 5 metres.

“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, who was walking to work at the time.

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 I am of the manhole covers. But I did hear about that incident in Midtown, and yeah, it’s scary.”

Relatives of the woman told WABC-TV that they were shocked and saddened by her death, and they were seeking more information. Among those she left behind are a daughter, a son and two young grandsons.

On Facebook, Gocaj, who also spelled her name as Donika, was a doting figure, the Times reported. She often posted special milestones with her family – birthdays, baby showers, weddings and first communions – whom she travelled as far as Australia to visit.

The city’s chief medical examiner’s office will determine the cause of death.

AP

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