A 56-year-old grandmother died after stepping into an uncovered manhole in Midtown Manhattan late Monday night, raising fresh questions about New York City street safety, Con Edison response times and infrastructure oversight under Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Donike Gocaj had just parked her Mercedes-Benz SUV near Fifth Avenue when she fell nearly 10 feet into a steam-filled utility vault with no barriers or warning signs around it. Witnesses described hearing her scream for help moments before first responders pulled her from the hole. She was later pronounced dead at a Manhattan hospital.
