A late-night trip through one of Manhattan’s busiest shopping corridors turned tragic when a Westchester County woman died after plunging into an uncovered manhole outside a luxury jewelry store, authorities said.
According to the New York Post, Donike Gocaj, 56, of Briarcliff Manor, was identified as the victim in the fatal incident that unfolded Monday night near the Cartier store on Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street.
Sources who spoke with the outlet said Gocaj had just stepped out of her parked Mercedes-Benz SUV around 11:20 p.m. when she suddenly fell roughly 10 feet into the open hole.
Emergency crews pulled her from the manhole and rushed her to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, but she later died from her injuries.
The shocking accident left workers and bystanders questioning how such a dangerous opening could have been left exposed in one of the city’s busiest areas.
“It should have never happened. They should have covered it back up or put something around it,” a nearby construction worker told The Post.
“Or if it wasn’t left open, how did it get off? That’s the question right there,” he added.
The worker also speculated that electrical equipment inside the manhole may have contributed to the tragedy.
“Ten feet is not too deep. Since it’s ConEd, she might have hit some live wires and got electrocuted, I don’t know,” he said.
Con Edison confirmed it had launched an investigation into the incident and said officials were trying to determine why the manhole had been left uncovered.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the public has died after falling into an open manhole,” a spokesperson for the utility company said.
“We are actively investigating how this occurred. Our thoughts are with the individual’s family, and safety remains our top priority.”
Gocaj’s death stunned family and friends.Â
By Tuesday morning, burn sheets used by first responders remained scattered around the scene as investigators continued examining the area.
The city medical examiner is expected to determine Gocaj’s official cause of death.
