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Woman dies after falling into open manhole in Midtown Manhattan

Woman dies after falling into open manhole in Midtown Manhattan
Unthinkable nightmare on 5th Avenue. *** family from Westchester demanding answers after *** mother stepped out of her car and plunged 10 ft to her death down an open steaming manhole. Fox Eye's Lisa Evers is on the story for you tonight. *** horrible tragedy here in Midtown after *** 56-year-old woman falls into an open manhole and does not survive. Now there are tough questions about why there were no warnings and no orange cones marking the danger. I saw *** lady, uh, get out of her black SUV. She closed the door behind *** car and took *** step forward and just disappeared. Carlton Wood was on his way to work about 11:15 Monday night on East 52nd Street. He ran over and saw the open manhole and heard *** woman screaming, I'm dying, I'm dying. He called 911 and says EMS and firefighters were there within several minutes. They put *** pulley. And they had, and it looked like one at *** time maybe they had climbed down and tried to strap her into whatever device they had. And then they use the pulley from the ladder up above their head from the truck to pull her up and out of the hole. He says it took FDNY about 20 minutes to bring her up, and when they brought her out, she appeared to be in very bad shape. Today, people who work in the area say they are stunned by the whole situation. I'm actually so scared about hearing about this entire situation because I actually work right there, so that's scary. I think it's scary. How can you step out in the street with no manhole cover, but it's dark, so she may not have known. Unfortunately for her. The witness insists there were no markings of any kind about the danger. *** spokesperson for Con Ed says the entire incident is under investigation and that they send their condolences to the woman's family in Midtown. I'm Lisa Evers, Fox 5 News.
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Updated: 10:43 AM EDT May 20, 2026
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Woman dies after falling into open manhole in Midtown Manhattan
AP logo
Updated: 10:43 AM EDT May 20, 2026
Editorial Standards
A 56-year-old woman fell into an open maintenance hole on a busy New York City street and died, police and utility officials said as they investigated how it could have happened.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.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 accident happened in an upscale shopping area that includes a Cartier store and is about four blocks from Trump Tower. Gocaj lived in Briarcliff Manor, a suburb of New York City, police said.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.“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.The city's chief medical examiner's office will determine the cause of death.____Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut.

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

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.

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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 accident happened in an upscale shopping area that includes a Cartier store and is about four blocks from Trump Tower. Gocaj lived in Briarcliff Manor, a suburb of New York City, police said.

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.

“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.

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

____

Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut.

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