Woman Dies After Falling Into Uncovered Manhole in Midtown

A 56-year-old woman died after falling into an open manhole on a busy Midtown Manhattan street late Monday night. The incident occurred shortly before 11:20 p.m. near the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 52nd Street, outside the Cartier store.

According to police, the woman had just parked her Mercedes-Benz SUV and stepped out of the vehicle when she plunged approximately ten feet into the uncovered utility hole. Officers responding to a 911 call found her unconscious and unresponsive at the bottom. Emergency personnel extracted her and rushed her to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

The utility company Con Edison, which owns the manhole, stated it is actively investigating how the opening was left uncovered. A company spokesperson said, "We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the public has died after falling into an open manhole. Our thoughts are with the individual’s family, and safety remains our top priority." Authorities confirmed the manhole cover was found about 15 feet from the opening and that no construction work was happening in the immediate area at the time. The city’s chief medical examiner will determine...