Walking on the Upper West Side might not be as safe as one thinks. A 2 year old girl was hit by a falling brick attached to a Manhattan building while taking a break on a sidewalk bench on the Upper West Side.
Sunday May 17, authorities reported a young girl, whose name can not be enclosed, suffers injuries from the brick that fell eight stories onto her head when sitting on the bench with her grandmother.
The brick was said to come from the window ledge also hit the grandmother in the wrist and ankle suffering minor injuries.
The 2 year old was visiting her grandma at the Esplanade Manhattan building, home to many elderly located on West End Avenue.
The incident happened at around 11:05 a.m. when paramedics arrived to transport the girl to New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Police say the girl underwent emergency surgery and remains in critical condition.
“She is pretty hurt,” says NYPD representative.
The Esplanade building owned by Esplanade Venture Partnership, is being issued a code violation from New York’s Buildings Department “for a failure to maintain the property in a safe and code compliant manner.”
Spokesman for the Building Department, Alexander Schnell says,
“Buildings inspectors remain on scene conducting an investigation into the incident. The department is requiring that the property owner construct a sidewalk shed on the property to protect the public.”
In New York Times attempt to contact the elderly facility, the woman who answered the phone could not disclose any information other than residents average in their “late 80s.”
“I cannot really give you any information. I was told not to,” said the woman.
According to Schnell there had been no complaints on the building’s structure prior to Sunday.
City councilwoman, Helen Rosenthal gives her praise to the authorities and emergency personnel who responded and said she is working to make the building “safe as soon as possible for everyone on our streets.”
“Our hearts and prayers are with the victim and her family as she undergoes surgery,” says Rosenthal
With New York City’s old building structures the keep up has to be updated and checked regularly to prevent any debris from falling and possibly obstructing a pedestrian.
Image via Google Maps
