Woman dies in NYC after stepping into open manhole

U.S. newsWoman dies in NYC after stepping into open manholeAuthorities said she parked her car and accidentally walked into the unsealed hole.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00A freak accident in midtown Manhattan claimed the life of a 56-year-old woman just before midnight Tuesday.NBC NewsShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 19, 2026, 5:01 PM EDTBy Madison Lambert and Tim StellohA woman fell to her death in New York City after she accidentally stepped into an open manhole, authorities said Tuesday.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The 56-year-old woman had parked her car in Midtown Manhattan when she walked into the manhole late Monday, an official with the New York Police Department said.The hole, which was about 10 feet deep, was near the Cartier store on Fifth Avenue.Officers found the woman unconscious and unresponsive, according to the department. She was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead.The woman was identified as Donika Gocaj, NBC New York reported. It isn’t clear why the manhole was open. In a statement to NBC New York, a local utility company, Con Edison, said it is investigating.“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the public has died after falling into an open manhole,” a spokesperson for the utility said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the individual’s family, and safety remains our top priority.”Authorities said the manhole was steaming at the time the woman fell.ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMadison LambertMadison Lambert is an assignment editor at NBC News.Tim StellohTim Stelloh is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.