Ride-share driver escapes serious injury after bricks fall from facade of Manhattan building

By Lisa Rozner

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    NEW YORK (WCBS, WLNY) — A ride-share driver says he escaped serious injury after bricks fell from a building and landed right on his car in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District.

It happened early Monday afternoon on Gansevoort Street, right across from the Whitney Museum. The victim spoke to CBS News New York right after being released from the hospital.

“I’m inside the car [having] lunch and something come from the roof,” Juan Monegro said.

The remnants of Monegro’s meal was surrounded by broken glass, smashed car equipment and a deployed airbag. He said he was on a break while parked, when he was nearly crushed.

“I already hear something boom on my car and I feel pain in all my body,” he said. “I heard that noise twice on my roof.”

Witnesses described the moment just before noon, when bricks fell from 90 Gansevoort onto the vehicle.

“I heard a very loud noise, come out here and see, wow, bricks fell down to the car,” Kostia Patyak said.

“I heard the commotion, people screaming ‘Oh my God,'” Roberto Monticello said.

Monegro left with arm and back injuries and when he returned to get his car, he noticed additional bricks inside the vehicle and more damage.

“I see in front of the car, but I didn’t see that before,” he said.

The Department of Buildings said during façade repair operations on the eighth floor, a 2-foot by 10-foot piece of façade dislodged and landed on the sidewalk shed and the occupied car below.

Building employees on site would not speak to CBS News New York on camera, but said the owner is TF Cornerstone. The DOB issued several violations, including failure to safeguard. It also issued a full stop-work order on all façade operations.

CBS News New York emailed and called the owners of the building, but did not hear back by our deadline.

Back in 2019, a Manhattan woman was killed when a piece of a building’s façade fell on her while walking on West 49th Street.

For now, the DOB says work cannot resume until the contractor shows how it will prevent future incidents like this from happening.

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