New York City police said the woman fell into a utility hole about 10 feet deep after getting out of the SUV.
WASHINGTON — A woman died Monday night after falling into an open utility hole on a busy street in Midtown Manhattan, prompting an investigation into how the uncovered hole in one of New York City’s busiest shopping districts came to be exposed.
Police identified the woman as Donike Gocaj, 56, from Briarcliff Manor, New York. Authorities said she fell into a pit near the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 52nd Street after parking her Mercedes-Benz SUV outside the Cartier Building shortly after 11:15 p.m.
According to police, emergency personnel responded to a 911 call and found Gokaj unconscious and unresponsive inside the cave. Firefighters extricated her and transported her to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Con Edison said preliminary surveillance footage showed a multi-axle truck lifting a utility cover about 12 minutes before the woman fell into the water.
“We are reviewing the details and, although it is rare, it is possible for a manhole cover to be displaced by a heavy vehicle,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with her family and safety remains our top priority.”
Witness Carlton Wood told the New York Post He saw Gokayi fall shortly after getting out of the car.
“She was right there in the hole, screaming that she was going to die,” Wood told the newspaper. “She said over and over, ‘I’m going to die, I’m going to die.'”
Wood said there were no barricades or warning signs around the hole and estimated the woman fell about 10 to 15 feet.
The city’s medical examiner is investigating the cause of death. Police said no arrests have been made.
The incident has reignited concerns about safety hazards on New York City’s streets, where missing manhole covers and underground utility incidents occasionally make headlines.
According to data cited by New York City 311 new york timesSince the beginning of this year, the Environmental Protection Department has received more than 700 service requests related to manholes.
The woman’s death also recalls other unusual street-related incidents in the city, including a 2020 incident in which a man survived after falling from a collapsed sidewalk into an underground vault filled with rats, and a 2022 Times Square manhole explosion that sent crowds fleeing.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
