The woman who tragically died after falling down an uncovered manhole in Midtown Monday night has been identified as a mother and grandmother from Westchester County whose son was married just last year.
Donika Gocaj, 56, of Briarcliff Manor, New York, tumbled 10-feet down the open manhole after stepping out of her parked Mercedes-Benz SUV around 11:20 p.m. outside of the Cartier store on 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue, sources said.
Responders pulled Gocaj out of the hole and rushed her to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she died from her injuries.
Gocaj’s relatives told Eyewitness News they were searching for answers following her shocking death.
The tragic woman’s son had just gotten married in Cancun, Mexico last July, according to Gocaj’s social media posts.
Her daughter appears to be the co-founder of “SISTERWOULD” — a hair product company designed for the visually challenged.
Both she and her business partner are “daughters of visually impaired mothers,” according to the firm’s website.
Con Edison said it was investigating why the manhole was not covered.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the public has died after falling into an open manhole,” a spokesperson for the utility company told The Post.
“We are actively investigating how this occurred. Our thoughts are with the individual’s family, and safety remains our top priority.”
Gocaj’s official cause of death will be determined by the city medical examiner.
Burn sheets were still on the ground at the scene Tuesday morning.
“It should have never happened. They should have covered it back up or put something around it,” a construction worker nearby told The Post.
“Or if it wasn’t left open, how did it get off? That’s the question right there,” he said.
“Ten feet is not too deep. Since it’s ConEd, she might have hit some live wires and got electrocuted, I don’t know.”
