She stepped out of a Mercedes in Manhattan, fell into a manhole and died

Witness Carlton Wood, identified by the NYT as a fire safety director at the nearby Lotte New York Palace hotel, told the outlet that he saw Gocaj step out of her vehicle moments before the fall. “She took a couple of steps and just vanished,” Wood told the New York Times. He also recalled hearing her repeatedly scream, “I’m dying,” after the fall.

According to the report, bystanders attempted to assist her before emergency crews arrived. One person reportedly tried to climb into the hole while another brought a ladder, though it was too short to reach her.

Utility company Con Edison said preliminary review of surveillance footage suggested that the manhole cover had been dislodged by a multi-axle truck making a turn onto East 52nd Street roughly 12 minutes before the incident.

“We are reviewing the details, and while this is a rare occurrence, manhole covers can get displaced by heavy vehicles,” Con Edison spokesperson Anne Marie Corbalis said in a statement, as quoted by the BBC. “Our thoughts remain with her family, and safety remains our top priority,” Corbalis added.

The BBC, citing CBS, reported that Gocaj’s family questioned how the exposed hole was left without warning signs or barriers. Her daughter-in-law reportedly told reporters at the scene that there were no cones, markings or caution tape around the opening.

City officials confirmed that Con Edison had an active work permit for the block, though no work was underway at the time of the accident. A spokesperson for New York City Hall told the New York Times that authorities are working with the utility company to determine exactly what happened.

“Every question must be asked and answered so that no New Yorker experiences a tragedy like this again,” City Hall spokesperson Jeremy Edwards said, according to the newspaper.

Police said no criminality is suspected at this stage, and no arrests have been made. The New York City medical examiner’s office is investigating the exact cause of death.

The uncovered manhole was reportedly part of Con Edison’s underground steam network, which serves customers across New York City.

Open or missing manhole covers remain a recurring issue in New York City. According to data cited by the New York Times, the city’s Department of Environmental Protection has received more than 700 service requests related to open manholes so far this year. The department oversees approximately 100,000 active manholes connected to the city’s sewer and wastewater infrastructure, the BBC reported.