A 56-year-old woman died after stepping out of her car and falling into an uncovered maintenance hole on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue late Monday night. The incident occurred near the Cartier building at West 52nd Street, according to police.
The victim was identified by family as Donike Gocaj, from Briarcliff Manor, New York. She parked her Mercedes-Benz SUV just before 11.20pm and stepped directly into the open hole, falling about 10 feet. Steam in the hole caused her to go into cardiac arrest; she was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead.
An autopsy determined the cause of death as the fall combined with scald burns and inhalation thermal injury from steam. The death was ruled an accident. Gocaj's family expressed shock and sadness over the sudden loss.
Con Edison, the city's electric utility, is investigating why the manhole cover was missing, as no construction was nearby. The cover was found 15 feet from the opening, and authorities suspect a truck may have dislodged it. Con Edison said in a statement: 'We are deeply saddened... We are actively investigating how this occurred.'
New York's Department of Environmental Protection has received over 700 service requests for missing covers this year. While deaths from open manholes are rare, a 2022 study found that from 2007 to 2017, 388 trauma patients fell into manholes nationally, with 1% dying.
