The beloved grandmother who died in New York City after falling down an uncovered manhole was on her way to work as a cleaner before she horrifically plunged to her death.
Donike Gocaj, 56, parked her car on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on Monday night and fell into the uncovered drain before emergency services rushed to her aid at about 11.20pm.
Gocaj was driving a Mercedes and fell to her death just seconds after getting out of the car.
It was initially unclear where Gocaj was headed when tragedy struck, but sources have now told the New York Post and the New York Daily News that she was on her way to work.
A friend of Gocaj's niece told the Post that she worked as an overnight cleaner. She was an employee of United Building Maintenance, a company that contracts janitorial work.
It was not reported which building she was contracted to work in the night she died. The Daily Mail has reached out to United for more information.
Gocaj's family friend told the Post that she was born in Albania and was a pillar of the Albanian community in New York. Her sudden and tragic death has left the community feeling 'horrible,' they added.
The friend said that Gocaj's son had just gotten married and she was 'so happy' and proud of him.
Donike Gocaj, pictured above in a social media post, died on Monday night after falling down an uncovered manhole in NYC
Con Edison, New York's power provider responsible for the manhole, is investigating why it was uncovered. Officials covering it up after the tragedy is pictured above
Sources have told local news that Gocaj worked the overnight shift as a contract cleaner. She is pictured above with family on social media
'I can't stop thinking about it. I'm a mother, and my son is gonna get married in a couple of months,' she said.
Gocaj's cause of death was due to scald burns with inhalational thermal injury and blunt force trauma of the torso, the medical examiner's office confirmed to the Daily Mail.
The manner of her death was ruled an accident.
City law mandates that manholes need to be closed or barricaded and clearly marked if left uncovered.
Con Edison, New York's power provider, said there was no construction work at the manhole where Gocaj fell and that the situation was being investigated.
'We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the public has died after falling into an open manhole. We are actively investigating how this occurred,' a Con Edison spokesman said. 'Our thoughts are with the individual's family, and safety remains our top priority.'
In a separate statement, the company said that after reviewing video footage, the cover was likely dislodged when a multi-axle truck turned onto the street.
'Approximately 12 minutes later, the person involved in the incident parked her car nearby. We are reviewing the details, and while this is a rare occurrence, manhole covers can get displaced by heavy vehicles,' Con Edison said.
A family friend said that Gocaj, pictured above, was a proud mom and grandmother who just celebrated her son's wedding
Two individuals reportedly called the authorities about the uncovered manhole two weeks before the fatal accident, according to the Post.
Rhonda Roland Shearer, an artist and nonprofit founder, said she saw the drain ajar while walking along Fifth Avenue on May 3.
'I said, "Oh my God, this is, in great likelihood, the same cover. Or multiple covers in the same area,'' she said.
One day after Shearer saw the manhole, another individual called 311 to report a skewed or missing lid, sources told the Post.
Shearer said she reached out to the police department in Westchester, where Gocaj lived, to connect with her family in case they decide to file a lawsuit.
'The bottom line is this poor woman was tortured in her last moments in life, and that is just horrifying,' she added.
Fire safety director Carlton Wood previously told the Daily Mail that he witnessed the shocking tragedy.
'I saw her step out and close the door, she took one step forward and fell straight through the manhole, just disappeared into the ground,' he said.
Gocaj had scald burns on her body and suffered from blunt force trauma on her torso, an autopsy report said. She was pronounced dead at the hospital. Emergency responders at the scene are pictured above
An investigation is ongoing into why the manhole was uncovered. It is believed that the covering became dislodged after a truck drove over it. The scene after the tragedy is pictured above
Fire safety director Carlton Wood, pictured above, previously told the Daily Mail that he witnessed the horror and heard Gocaj screaming for her life down the drain
Wood rushed over to the scene and said he heard the grandmother screaming, 'I'm dying, I'm dying' over and over as she lay injured at the bottom of the hole.
'She was sitting down in [a] steaming hot puddle of water with her legs forward and looking up, just begging for help,' he described.
Wood called 911 as other witnesses tried to lower a man into the hole by his arms so Gocaj could grab his feet and be hauled out.
But by the time Wood got off the phone a few minutes later and helped hold the brave rescuer, it was clear Gocaj was just too deep for them to rescue.
When emergency services arrived, firefighters took about 20 minutes to lift Gocaj out, but Wood said her legs were already black and bloodied. She was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.