Woman dies after falling into NYC manhole while getting out of car

Witness who saw woman die after falling into manhole speaks

FOX 5 NY's Lisa Evers speaks with the man who witnessed the woman fall into the manhole.

NEW YORK - A woman died after falling into an open manhole in Midtown, according to police and Con Edison.

What we know:

Police said the 56-year-old woman was found unconscious and unresponsive inside an uncovered maintenance hole in front of 563 Fifth Ave. near West 52nd Street around 11:19 p.m. Monday.

She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said. Her identity was being withheld pending family notification.

Con Edison investigates

Con Edison confirmed the death Tuesday and said it is investigating.

A spokesperson for the company provided this statement:

"Following this tragic incident, we are continuing to investigate how this occurred.

We have reviewed video footage from the area which suggests that the cover was dislodged after a multi-axle truck turning onto 52nd Street from 5th Avenue drove over it. Approximately 12 minutes later, the person involved in the incident parked her car nearby. 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 investigation is ongoing.