Woman Dies After Falling Into Open Manhole in NYC

A 56-year-old woman died after falling into an uncovered manhole in Midtown Manhattan, New York City after she stepped out of her parked Mercedes-Benz. The incident took place outside the Cartier store at 653 Fifth Avenue at around 11:19 pm local time, on Monday, May 16. The woman plunged 10 feet into the Con Edison manhole. They found the woman unconscious and unresponsive inside the manhole. She was then rushed to New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, police said. A Con Edison spokesperson told the outlet that they were “saddened” to hear about the woman's death and said they were investigating how this occurred. “Our thoughts remain with the individual's family, and safety remains our top priority,” they said. The woman's family visited the scene Tuesday morning, trying to understand how this unthinkable tragedy occurred. Her daughter-in-law told CBS News New York there were no cones, warning signs, or barriers around the manhole. The daughter-in-law was visibly shaken as she spoke, saying the family is still trying to take in the incident, CBS reported.