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A heartbreaking freak accident has shocked Midtown Manhattan. Donike Gocaj, a 56-year-old resident of Briarcliff Manor, tragically passed away late Monday evening after plunging into an open utility manhole on the iconic Fifth Avenue.
According to initial reports from the New York Police Department (NYPD), the incident occurred near 52nd Street, right outside the historic Cartier Mansion. Gocaj had just parked her Mercedes-Benz SUV and stepped out of the vehicle when she failed to notice the gap in the roadway, falling approximately 10 feet into the underground shaft.
Emergency responders, alerted by shocked bystanders, managed to locate the unconscious woman inside the vault. She was rushed to Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she was unfortunately pronounced dead shortly after arrival due to severe trauma.
Con Edison, the utility company responsible for the underground network in that area, expressed its deepest condolences to the family and launched a thorough internal investigation. Surveillance footage later revealed that the heavy cast-iron cover had been dislodged by a large multi-axle truck just minutes before Gocaj arrived. No active construction work was underway at the time, making the hazard entirely unpredictable for the victim.
