Donike Gocaj, 56, died Monday night after stepping out of her parked SUV and falling into an uncovered maintenance hole in Midtown Manhattan, police and utility officials said. The incident occurred near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and East 52nd Street, a busy commercial corridor lined with shops and office towers. Gocaj had parked her Mercedes-Benz SUV next to the opening shortly before 11:30 p.m. and fell in after exiting the vehicle, according to the New York Police Department. Firefighters pulled her from the hole, and she was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The utility company Con Edison said Tuesday that surveillance camera footage reviewed by the company appeared to show a multi-axle truck driving over the maintenance hole cover about 12 minutes before Gocaj fell, dislodging it. “We are reviewing the details, and while this is a rare occurrence, manhole covers can get displaced by heavy vehicles,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “Our thoughts remain with her family, and safety remains our top priority.”
Police are investigating the circumstances of the death. The New York City Department of Transportation, which regulates the city’s streets and subsurface infrastructure, typically holds utility companies responsible for the condition of manhole covers on their systems. Under city rules, a displaced or missing cover is considered an immediate hazard that must be secured. Officials have not said whether any citations or enforcement actions are pending against Con Edison.