A 56-year-old woman named Donike Gocaj died late Monday night after falling approximately 3 meters (about 10 feet) into an uncovered maintenance hole on Fifth Avenue near East 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. The incident occurred shortly before 11:20 p.m. local time on May 18, 2026, although one source has a lower-confidence report placing it on May 16 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10].

Gocaj had just parked her Mercedes-Benz SUV directly next to the uncovered manhole in a busy shopping district near luxury stores including Cartier and close to Trump Tower [3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10]. Eyewitness Carlton Wood recalled hearing her scream repeatedly, "She was just in the hole, screaming that she was dying. Over and over she was like, ‘I’m dying, I’m dying’" [5].

Emergency services arrived promptly after a 911 call. Firefighters found Gocaj unconscious and unresponsive inside the manhole. She was taken to a hospital but was pronounced dead there [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. Police are investigating the death and have stated no arrests or suspicion of criminal activity so far [1, 2, 3, 9]. An NYPD spokesperson said, "There are no arrests at this time, and the investigation remains ongoing" [2].

Con Edison, the local utility company, is investigating the case. Video footage reportedly shows a multi-axle truck ran over and dislodged the manhole cover about 12 minutes before Gocaj fell in, leaving the hole uncovered [1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10]. The manhole cover was later found about 15 feet from the hole [3]. A Con Edison spokesperson said, "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" [1].

Family members, including Gocaj's daughter-in-law, said there were no cones, warning signs, or protective barriers placed around the open manhole [1, 7, 8, 9]. Open manholes remain a known urban safety issue in New York City, with the Department of Environmental Protection managing about 100,000 active manholes citywide and receiving over 700 service requests this year alone to address open holes [1, 3]. Despite these concerns, injuries and deaths related to uncovered manholes are relatively rare [1, 3].

On the morning after the incident, May 19, 2026, Gocaj’s family visited the scene seeking answers as police and Con Edison continued their investigation [1, 8, 9].