Pedestrian plunges through New York sidewalk grate

NEW YORK — It was just after 7 a.m. when Jessica Hinksmon, 26, of Englewood, N.J., fell through a metal grate on a Manhattan sidewalk, plunging 12 feet and landing on her back next to an electrical transformer carrying 13,000 volts.

“She was inches away from being electrocuted,” said firefighter Frank Rush. “She’s absolutely lucky to be alive.”

Hinksmon, who was on her way to work, suffered neck, back, elbow, wrist and leg injuries and was hospitalized in serious but stable condition.

Chris Olert, a spokesman for Con Edison, the electric company, said Hinksmon fell into a transformer vault when its metal door gave way.

Video from a nearby building shows Hinksmon essentially being swallowed by the sidewalk as she walks along the block.

“People who are here 20, 30 years, they’ve never heard of this happening before,” Olert said. “We have these vaults all over the city. They are safe.”

Fire Lt. Tom Donnelly said Hinksmon was lying in a foot of mud and debris as firefighters began the delicate task of removing her.

“She was very scared,” Donnelly said. “It was a substantial fall. We reassured her that it was OK.”