A 53-year-old grandmother is recovering from serious injuries after falling down an elevator shaft in a Jersey City apartment building earlier this week. The incident has prompted a response from local authorities and an ongoing investigation by the building’s management.
The woman, after picking up her granddaughter from a nearby bus stop on Monday, March 18 attempted to use the building’s elevator on Gifford Avenue. She opened the elevator door, not realizing the car was absent, and fell about 16 feet to the basement.
Brandon Rennick, a witness in the building, reported hearing the woman’s cries for help immediately after the incident, “I heard someone screaming very loud, you know, ‘Help me! Help me! Somebody help me!’.” Rennick detailed how the woman, believing the elevator was there, stepped backward into the shaft, leading to her fall. He and other residents rushed to assist upon hearing her distress.
The woman sustained significant injuries from the fall, including a broken elbow, and a stomach tear, requiring hospitalization. Fortunately, her granddaughter, present during the incident, was unharmed.
Firefighters faced challenges due to the victim’s injuries during the rescue operation. They drilled a hole into the elevator shaft to reach her in the basement, as her wounds would not allow them to lift her to the first floor.
Cross Country Management, overseeing the building’s upkeep, has said that tenant safety and security are their paramount concerns. They are actively investigating the cause of the elevator malfunction in cooperation with their elevator service company.
The incident has heightened resident concerns over building maintenance and safety. Issues such as mold, leaks, and now the elevator malfunction have allegedly been neglected by management. A meeting with residents has been scheduled by the building’s management to discuss these concerns and the recent incident.
The family of the injured woman plans to pursue legal action, pointing to a pattern of oversight issues with the building’s maintenance.