By Mariah Timms

A New York City manhole was likely left open Monday night by a passing truck that dislodged the cover, minutes before a woman unknowingly stepped into the exposed shaft and fell to her death.

The large vehicle drove through the intersection near Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street roughly 12 minutes before the woman parked nearby, utility company Con Edison said Tuesday.

The 56-year-old woman was found unresponsive and unconscious inside an uncovered manhole around 11:20 p.m. Monday, according to the New York Police Department. She was transported to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

No arrests have been made, according to the NYPD. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is investigating the cause of death, police said.

Video footage reviewed by Con Edison shows a multi-axle truck passing over the intersection, a spokesperson said. The truck's weight appeared to dislodge the cover, according to the utility.

"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 spokesperson said.

Write to Mariah Timms at mariah.timms@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 19, 2026 17:20 ET (21:20 GMT)

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