MECHANIC CRUSHED
TO DEATH IN MANHATTAN ELEVATOR SHAFT ACCIDENT
A repair worker was crushed to death by a falling
elevator inside a residential building on the Upper West Side. Roseanne
Colletti reports. (Published Friday, Jan 9, 2015)
Friday, Jan 9, 2015 • Updated at 8:53 PM EST
A 30-year-old mechanic was crushed to death by an
elevator car in Manhattan Friday morning, authorities say.
The man was in an elevator shaft at 75 West End Ave. on
the Upper West Side when an empty elevator moved down three floors, pinning him
underneath it, Roger Sakowich, a deputy assistant fire chief, said.
"There was some movement in the elevator and the
gentleman below got crushed by the elevator between the first floor and the
basement," Sakowich told reporters Friday.
The man was pronounced dead shortly after the
accident.
Tenant Ryan Sher said the elevators in the buildings
"have been a mess for years."
"These elevators have not worked in so long,"
tenant Lesley Pavia added.
Records show 12 elevator violations dating back to 2003,
with three open violations considered major ones from last year for poor
maintenance.
The landlord, the Brodsky Organization, said it was in
the process of modernizing the elevator system.
"We extend our sincere condolences, thoughts and
prayers to his family, friends and co-workers at this time," the landlord
said in a statement.
The city's buildings department is investigating.