KIPS BAY, Manhattan — A man died when he was crushed by an elevator inside a New York City building Thursday morning.
The 30-year-old man was on an elevator with several other people inside the Manhattan Promenade on Third Avenue around 8:45 a.m., sources tell WPIX. When he got off, the man fell through a gap, and became lodged between the elevator door and the elevator shaft. The elevator then crushed him.
The Manhattan Promenade is a mixed-use commercial and residential building.
Police later identified the man as Samuel Charles Waisbren.
It was not immediately clear if there were any violations or issues with the elevator. The building had been recently fined for unsafe elevator conditions, the NY Times reported.
In a statement, the Department of Buildings said they are investigating the incident.
“The Department of Buildings is investigating this incident aggressively and will take all appropriate enforcement actions. Elevators are the safest form of travel in New York, due to the city’s stringent inspection and safety requirements. We’re determined to find out what went wrong at this building and seek ways to prevent incidents like this in the future.”
The DOB had issued 16 violations between 2017 and 2018.
The Medical Examiner was at the scene.
