A 56-year-old woman, identified as Donike Gocaj of Briarcliff Manor, New York, died after falling into an uncovered manhole on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan late Monday night. Police responded to an emergency call around 11:19 p.m. and found Gocaj unconscious and unresponsive at the bottom of the 10-foot-deep manhole. She was rushed to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Con Edison, the utility company responsible for the manhole, stated that video footage suggests the cover was dislodged by a truck approximately 12 minutes before Gocaj parked her car nearby. The company is reviewing the details and emphasized that while such incidents are rare, heavy vehicles can displace manhole covers. Gocaj's family expressed shock and confusion, noting there were no cones, warning signs, or barriers around the manhole at the time of the incident.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection manages the city's water and wastewater infrastructure, including about 100,000 active manholes. The department has received over 700 service requests regarding open manholes so far this year. The city medical examiner's office will determine the cause of death, and an ongoing investigation is being conducted, though no criminal activity is suspected at this time.