Woman dies after stepping out of car, falling into manhole outside Manhattan Cartier store

A 56-year-old Westchester woman was killed after stepping out of her Mercedes-Benz late Monday in midtown and falling into an uncovered manhole, police said.

The NYPD said the incident occurred on Fifth Avenue, not far from the Cartier store.

Police have not released the identity of the victim, pending notification of next of kin.

Police responded to a 911 call at 11:19 p.m. and found the victim, unconscious and unresponsive, inside the uncovered Con Edison manhole.

The woman was transported to New York-Presbyterian / Weill-Cornell Medical Center, where she died, police said.

Con Ed and the NYPD are investigating why the hole was uncovered, but police said it's possible it might have been knocked off by a passing truck.

Additional information was not immediately available on Tuesday.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee'pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.