The manhole cover was likely dislodged by a truck minutes before the incident occurred, Con Edison said in a statement shared with PEOPLE
Credit: Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- Donike Gocaj, a grandmother from Westchester County, fell into an open manhole after stepping out of her SUV
- Con Edison stated the manhole cover was likely dislodged by a truck minutes before the incident occurred
- Her official cause of death has yet to be determined
The 56-year-old woman who plunged to her death after stepping out of her vehicle into an open manhole in midtown Manhattan has been identified.
The deceased woman is Donike Gocaj, of Briarcliff Manor in Westchester County, according to The New York Times, ABC News, and The Guardian.
Gocaj, who also spells her name as Donika, had a son, a daughter, and two grandchildren, ABC 7 reported. Her Facebook page shows photos of her celebrating holidays, weddings and birthdays.
A New York Police Department spokesperson previously told PEOPLE that officers were called to the scene on Fifth Avenue around 11:19 p.m. local time on Monday, May 18.
Gocaj fell 10 feet into the open Con Edison manhole after stepping out of her parked SUV, WABC reported.
Credit: Facebook
A witness who was heading to work at the time of the incident told ABC 7 it was as if Gocaj "took one step forward and just disappeared."
"She was screaming, 'I'm dying,' that's what I kept hearing her screaming over and over," Carlton Wood told the outlet. "She wasn't distracted, she didn't walk onto a construction site, I mean, she parked her car, stepped out of her car and dropped right into the manhole."
Gocaj was rushed to the New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
The NYC Environmental Protection confirmed to PEOPLE that the manhole belongs to Con Edison.
Credit: Google
In a statement, the company says it is "continuing to investigate" how the "tragic incident" occurred.
"We have reviewed video footage from the area, which suggests that the cover was dislodged after a multi-axle truck turning onto 52nd Street from 5th Avenue drove over it," Con Edison said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
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"Approximately 12 minutes later, the person involved in the incident parked her car nearby," Con Edison's statement continued. "We are reviewing the details, and while this is a rare occurrence, manhole covers can get displaced by heavy vehicles. Our thoughts remain with her family, and safety remains our top priority.”
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York confirmed to PEOPLE that it will determine Gocaj's official cause of death.
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