A New York grandmother “dropped” into an open manhole after stepping out of her SUV and was heard screaming, “I’m dying,” before rescuers pulled her from the death trap in Midtown Manhattan.
On May 18, 56-year-old Donike Gocaj stepped out of her parked Mercedes SUV near East 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan when she suddenly plunged roughly 10 feet into an uncovered utility hole outside the Cartier Mansion, according to the New York Times.
Witnesses quickly called 911, and police along with emergency crews arrived at the scene around 11:19 p.m., People reported.
Responders found the Westchester County woman unresponsive before transporting her to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Investigators are now reviewing how the manhole became exposed in one of Manhattan’s busiest areas.
How cover became dislodged
After reviewing surveillance footage, Con Edison said it appeared that a multi-axle truck drove over the manhole cover while turning onto East 52nd Street from Fifth Avenue shortly before the incident happened.
According to the utility company, the truck may have dislodged the cover approximately 12 minutes before Gocaj parked nearby.
“We are reviewing the details, and while this is a rare occurrence, manhole covers can get displaced by heavy vehicles,” Con Edison spokeswoman Anne Marie Corbalis said in a statement shared with the NYT. “Our thoughts remain with her family, and safety remains our top priority.”
As investigators continue reviewing how the manhole became exposed, loved ones are remembering Gocaj as a devoted mother and grandmother whose life centered around family.
Devoted mother and grandmother
On her Facebook page, Gocaj frequently shared moments with her family, posting photos from birthdays, weddings, baby showers and vacations.
Many of the images centered around her two children and two grandsons, offering a glimpse into a close-knit family life that stretched far beyond New York. Some posts documented trips to visit relatives abroad, while others captured birthdays, weddings and holiday celebrations.
The devastating loss has since left both loved ones and witnesses struggling to process how an ordinary moment on a busy Manhattan street turned fatal in seconds.
Woman ‘just disappeared’
Carlton Wood, 36, said he was walking down East 52nd Street on his way to work at the nearby Lotte New York Palace hotel when he saw Gocaj step out of her SUV moments before the fall.
“I saw a woman stepping out of her car, and as soon as she stepped out, it’s like she took one step forward and just disappeared,” Wood told ABC 7.
Wood, who works as the hotel’s fire safety director, said he hurried toward the sound of screams before realizing Gocaj had fallen into the hole, its lid off to the side.
“She was screaming, ‘I’m dying,’ that’s what I kept hearing her screaming over and over,” Wood told the outlet. “She wasn’t distracted, she didn’t walk onto a construction site, I mean, she parked her car, stepped out of her car and dropped right into the manhole.”
When Wood reached the scene, he said he could see Gocaj sitting in water at the bottom of the utility hole with her legs stretched in front of her as bystanders rushed to help, the NYT reported.
One person attempted to lower himself into the hole so she could grab onto his legs, but the opening was too deep. Another brought over a ladder that turned out to be too short, Wood explained.
‘Freak accident’
By the time emergency crews pulled her from the hole – about 20 minutes later – Wood said Gojac had fallen silent.
“I was expecting there to be cheers when they pulled her out,” he told the NYT. “I thought there would be thumbs up.”
Instead, emergency workers immediately started chest compressions before placing the soot-covered woman into an ambulance.
“By the time they got her out she looked deceased,” Wood later shared in a Facebook post.
“Just that quick this lady lost her life. Life is fragile. Be careful walking around in this city. RIP to that lady.”
Wood explained he chose to speak publicly so Gocaj’s family would understand exactly what happened and to push back against online speculation suggesting she may have been distracted before the fall.
“I just want her family to understand that this was a freak accident,” he said. “If she would have parked a few feet up, maybe none of this would have happened.”
Before reading this story, did you ever think a manhole could become a deadly hazard in seconds? Share your thoughts in the comments – and please share this story to help raise awareness.
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