Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Elevator Company Fires 5 Workers In Connection With Horrific Fatal Accident
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 1, 2012
Modified Mar 1, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 1, 2012
Modified Mar 1, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The elevator company accused of negligence in the horrifying death of a Madison Avenue ad executive has fired five workers. Only one of the employees was identified: Michael Hill, an elevator mechanic who allegedly forgot to remove a “jump wire” that allowed the lift to move with its doors open. (Hill insists he did remove the jump wire.) Minutes after workers left the elevator to take a break, Suzanne Hart was crushed to death as the elevator shot up with the doors open.
According to the Department of Investigation report, Hill had worked for Transel for 12 years and has almost 28 years of experience. He told investigators the jumper wire was in his hand when he left the building, but his coworker Robert Schroeder says that after the initial accident investigation that day, Hill told him he had used the jumper wire to move the cars, "but never said whether he had removed the wire prior to the elevator accident."
A Transel spokesman tells the Daily News the company dismissed the five employees on site during the accident as part of an ongoing effort to "enhance" its operations after the accident. The Buildings Department has hit Transel with 23 violations for a minimum penalty of $117,000; its license has been suspended and the city is working to have its license permanently revoked.
You can read the full report on the investigation here; Transel is one of the biggest elevator maintenance companies in New York and what investigators found is pretty harrowing. During a three-week sweep after the accident, inspectors performed inspections of 658 elevators at 169 buildings throughout the city. Of the 658 elevators, 370 were serviced by Transel Elevator.
Tagged
elevator tragedy
elevators
suzanne hart
transel
y&r
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC tow companies busted for ripping off drivers must give $67K in refunds, city says
Mayor Mamdani has expanded enforcement on towing scams, but the unlicensed towing industry remains largely unregulated.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Oct 2, 2026 at 4:47 p.m. ET
Off-duty NYPD officer stabbed in the Bronx, police say
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Commissioner Jessica Tisch visited the officer in the hospital.
By
Ryan Kost
News
Off-duty NYPD officer stabbed in the Bronx, police say
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Commissioner Jessica Tisch visited the officer in the hospital.
By
Ryan Kost
DOC negligence factored in death at Rikers' Bellevue hospital outpost, jail officials say
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Conductor on NYC subway that dragged man to death may have skipped safety check, source says
By
Stephen Nessen
NYPD still searching for man who threw burning substance on victim in East Harlem
By
Ryan Kost
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .