A woman was walking in Washington Heights when the concrete crumbled beneath her feet, sending her on a terrifying 5-foot underground plunge, CBS2 reported.
The 48-year-old victim, known currently as Marianna, was at 537 W. 158th St. when the sidewalk in front of the building rapidly caved around 7:40 a.m. on Saturday, causing her to fall into the basement below, where she broke her leg.
“She was screaming,” reported Marianna’s neighbor Charles Guerrero to CBS2. “She’s in a lot of pain.”
A video of the incident showed how quickly it happened, the concrete giving way within mere seconds.
A maintenance worker told NY1 the ill-fated sidewalk likely went unnoticed before the accident. “Unfortunately, the concrete floor is all old and deteriorating, and you can’t see that from up above,” he said.
Marianna was rescued by firefighters and taken to Harlem Hospital where her condition was listed as serious but stable.
