Woman Dies After Falling Into an Uncovered Manhole In Midtown Manhattan
A 56-year-old grandmother died atter stepping out of her vehicle and falling into an uncovered manhole in Midtown Manhattan. A tractor trailer truck appears to have dislodged the manhole minutes before the victim stepped into it and plunged to her death.
| 20 May 2026 | 03:38
A manhole cover sits near East 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan following the death of Donike Gocaj, 56, who authorities said fell into an uncovered manhole after stepping out of her vehicle Monday night, May 18, 2026, in New York. Investigators are continuing to examine the situation. (
)
Donike Gocaj, above with two of her grandchildren. She died in a freak accident when she fell down an uncovered manhole on May 18 after stepping out of the front door of her parked car. (
)
A 56-year-old woman died after falling about 10 feet into an uncovered manhole in Midtown Manhattan late May 18 night near the Cartier store on East 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue, according to the NYPD.
The woman was identified as Donike Gocaj. Witnesses said she had just parked her Mercedes-Benz when she stepped out of the vehicle and fell into the open manhole.
Officers responded to a 911 call shortly before 11:30 p.m.
“Upon arrival, officers observed an unconscious and unresponsive 56-year-old female inside of an uncovered manhole in front of the location,” a police spokesperson said in a statement. Bystanders reportedly tried in vain to pull her out of the manhole before first responders arrived but were unable to do so.
“EMS responded and transported the female to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, which has the city’s only burn unit, but she was pronounced deceased.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner had not yet determined the exact cause of deaht. Police said there are no arrests at this time, and “the investigation remains ongoing.”
Witness Carlton Wood described the moments leading up to the incident in an interview with ABC7 New York.
“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 said.
“She was screaming, ‘I’m dying,’ that’s what I kept hearing her screaming over and over,” he added. “She wasn’t distracted, she didn’t walk onto a construction site. She parked her car, stepped out of her car and dropped right into the manhole.”
Officials said the manhole cover was found approximately 15 feet from the opening.
A Con Edison spokesperson said the utility company reviewed surveillance footage and said it appeared a tractor trailer had dislodged the manhole only minutes before the tragic accident.
“We have reviewed video footage from the area which suggests that the cover was dislodged after a multi-axle truck turning onto East 52nd Street from Fifth Avenue drove over it,” a Con Edison spokesperson told Straus News.
The spokesperson added that approximately 12 minutes passed between the cover being displaced and the woman parking her vehicle nearby.
Family members described Gocaj as a loving mother to a son and daughter and a grandmother of two who lived in Westchester County.
Yorktown Funeral Home has created an online memorial where friends, family members, and loved ones can share condolences and send flowers or plant a tree in her memory.