Woman dies after falling into uncovered manhole while stepping out of car

20 May 2026 • 5:40 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Woman dies after falling into uncovered manhole while stepping out of car

  • A 56-year-old woman died after falling 10 feet into an uncovered manhole in Manhattan on Monday night.
  • The incident occurred around 11:20 p.m. near a Cartier store at East 52nd Street and 5th Avenue, shortly after she exited her Mercedes-Benz SUV.
  • Police found the woman unconscious and unresponsive at the scene; she was rushed to New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she succumbed to her injuries.
  • Her family, visibly shaken, returned to the scene, stating there were no warning signs or barriers around the manhole.
  • Energy company Con Edison is actively investigating why the manhole was left uncovered, expressing sadness over the fatality.

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