Gruesome cause of death revealed for Donike Gocaj, grandma who plunged to death down NYC manhole
The Westchester grandmother who plunged into an open manhole in Midtown died of scald burns and an assortment of other horrendous injuries, the city’s medical examiner found Wednesday.
The shocking death of Donike Gocaj, 56, was ruled an accident by the examiner, officials revealed.
Gocaj fell into an uncovered manhole after parking her SUV along East 52nd Street near Fifth Avenue at around 11:20 p.m. on Monday.
She suffered burns that included inhalational thermal injuries from breathing in hot air or steam, the examiner found.
She also died from blunt force trauma to her torso, according to the ME’s office.
A witness said Gocaj – a devoted mom and grandmother who lived in Briarcliff Manor – hauntingly screamed “I’m dying” as bystanders frantically tried to help her before first responded arrived.
The Con Edison utility hole she had “dropped” into appeared filled with boiling water and steam, the witness said.
The medical examiner’s ruling confirmed that Gocaj indeed died of horrific heat-related injuries.
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