NEW YORK (AP) — A 56-year-old woman fell into an open maintenance hole on a busy New York City street and died, police and utility officials said as they investigated how it could have happened.
The woman parked her Mercedes-Benz SUV right next to the maintenance hole near the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan Monday night and fell in after exiting the vehicle shortly before 11:30 p.m., police said. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
It wasn't immediately clear why the hole was not covered.
The utility company Con Edison said it was investigating the accident.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the public has died after falling into an open manhole,” the company said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the individual’s family, and safety remains our top priority.”
Relatives of the woman told WABC-TV that they were shocked and saddened by her death, and they were seeking more information.
City police said officers responding to a 911 call found the woman unresponsive at the bottom of the hole. The city's chief medical examiner's office will determine the cause of death.
