Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Man Crushed To Death By Elevator In Manhattan Apartment Building
By
Ben Yakas
Published Aug 22, 2019
Modified Aug 22, 2019
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 .
Google Maps
By
Ben Yakas
Published Aug 22, 2019
Modified Aug 22, 2019
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
A man was killed after he was pinned by an elevator in a Manhattan apartment building this morning.
An NYPD spokesperson said the incident happened just before 8:30 a.m. today at 344 Third Avenue, near East 26th Street, in Kips Bay. The 30-year-old victim, whose name has not been officially released, became pinned by an elevator between the first floor and basement of the 23-story building, which is called Manhattan Promenade.
An FDNY spokesperson added that the man was "caught between the car and the shaft." The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
A law enforcement source told the NY Post the victim was exiting the elevator when it fell from the first floor toward the basement. They add that three other people were in the elevator at the time as well (the Daily News source says there were two other people in the elevator).
Inspectors with the Buildings Department are investigating the death.
Earlier this year, a man fell down an empty elevator shaft in a SoHo building and survived. Back in 2011, ad executive Suzanne Hart was stepping into an elevator when it suddenly shot upward, pinning her between the elevator and the wall. She was pronounced dead at the scene. That fatality prompted several lawsuits, and it later emerged that elevator workers "ignored basic procedures," leading to several firings.
According to a recent article in the NY Times, a NYC regulation that requires the installation of door-lock monitors on elevators by the end of the year "is starting to cause bottlenecks in work at elevator consultancy and maintenance companies."
Tagged
death
elevator
kip's bay
manhattan
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 16, 2026
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
News
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
By
Clayton Guse
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 .