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Brooklyn resident Maria Tripp, age 47, was killed while crossing Atlantic Avenue late Thursday afternoon. Authorities tell NBC New York that Ms. Tripp was attempting to cross at the intersection of Atlantic and Ralph when she was struck by a westbound Chevrolet Impala driven by a Secret Service agent. Ms. Tripp was taken to Interfaith Hospital where she died from injuries to her head and body.

Ms. Tripp's brother, Alan Taylor, told NY1 News that his sister was hit by "a speeder" and that "a car came by speeding." Ms. Tripp "didn't know which way to move," said Mr. Taylor.

Mr. Taylor also said his sister was accompanied by a man and two children who the man pulled out of harm's way when the incident occurred.

The as yet unnamed Secret Service agent stayed at the scene and was reportedly cooperating with investigators.

Inside the accident. (FDNY)

Blame it on the builders.

Breeze International, the firm demolishing a Manhattanville building for Columbia that collapsed yesterday and claimed one life, just released a statement addressing the cause of the accident. The firm's investigation found that an unusual construction configuration appears to be the reason the building was destabilized and collapsed.

Because the structural beam the demo crew severed was not properly connected to the rest of the structure, when it was cut, everything else came down around it. Breeze points to a lack of construction drawings from when the building was built between eight and 10 decades ago as to why the unusual connection was not initially recognized.

In other words, this appears to be an unfortunate, if unavoidable, construction accident. A Department of Buildings spokesperson said the city would be releasing its own assessment shortly.

Breeze International's full release is as follows:

First and foremost, everyone from the Breeze family would like to express our deepest heart felt condolences to the families of our deceased and injured workers.  These gentlemen have been with us for many years and our primary concern during the time of this terrible tragedy is with them and their families.

We did not respond yesterday to the requests for comments because we were first focused on addressing the needs of the families of our workers.  Secondly, our attention was required with the investigation that was being conducted by our engineers and the forensic engineers from the Department of Buildings to determine the cause of this terrible accident.  We have and will continue to completely cooperate in any way we can with the Department of Buildings and OSHA investigators.

The investigation conducted to date has led all of the parties involved to believe that this accident was the result of an unknown, unusual, latent condition in one of the structural beams.

In normal construction practice, structural beams running horizontally are joined together at a vertical column.  All of the beams and columns being removed by Breeze at this building were constructed in this manner.  The horizontal beam that failed, however, was not joined with the other beam at the column.  Instead, the beam being cut carried past the column and was joined to the other horizontal beam by a splice with bolts that was encased in 2 feet of concrete.  Because this was a century old building, the bolts in the splice apparently failed and could not carry the load that was transferred to the splice and the bolts when the beam was cut.  Once again, because of the age of the building, no structural drawings were available to show this unknown and latent condition buried in the concrete casing.  Neither Breeze nor its consulting engineers can recall ever encountering this type of a structural beam configuration at this type of a location.

Department of Buildings’ representatives have been conducting inspections of the site on a weekly basis and have been closely monitoring Breeze’s demolition activities, with our full cooperation.

The stop work order issued at this site on March 5 was rescinded only days after its issuance when the specifications that were supposedly violated were reviewed by a Department of Buildings supervisor.  This violation related to whether a particular type of rope was being used for the tie-off of a safety harness.  It was not related in any way to the structural beam issue that was apparently the cause of this accident.

The violation issued on March regarding Breeze’s alleged failure to notify the Department of Buildings of the commencement of demolition work was merely the result of a harmless clerical error as the Department was already actually aware of Breeze’s demolition work because Breeze is demolishing four other buildings on the same block as part of the same Columbia University project.  Once again, this violation had nothing to do with this accident.

Since 2009, Breeze has been exclusively run by Toby Romano, Jr.  His father, Toby Romano, Sr., is the individual that was the subject of the alleged criminal activities, however, the father has had no involvement with the company since 2009 and no involvement with this incident.

Breeze is a qualified, competent, responsible demolition contractor that has successfully and safely performed thousands of projects in New York City, many in locations far more congested and complex than this Columbia University project.  Unfortunately, this terrible accident was just that, an accident, one that was truly no one’s fault, but which, nonetheless, had tragic consequences for the Breeze family and our workers, about which we are all deeply saddened.

mchaban [at] observer.com | @MC_NYC

Inspectors explore the accident. (Rob Bennet/WSJ)

Following today's warehouse collapse in Manhattanville that killed a construction worker, Columbia University released a statement expressing its sympathies for the family.

"First and foremost, our hearts go out to the family, friends and co-workers of the construction worker who was killed in this tragic incident, and our thoughts remain with the two other workers who were injured this morning and their loved ones," the university said in a brief statement.

The building was being taken down to make way for a public plaza that is part of the university's second phase, which remains years away. The scheduling of the construction work was not immediately clear—why demolish now to leave vacant for later.

A Columbia spokesperson declined to discuss the circumstance of the accident and whether the university shared any of the blame for what happened, though in the past a strict safety regimen at the site has been touted. The Department of Buildings said that its initial investigation determined that a structural beam had been cut, for reasons that remain unclear, which caused the rest of the building to come down around three construction workers who were trapped inside. Two of them survived.

“Once they cut that structural beam, the site became unstable and there was a collapse,” Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri told reporters at the site earlier today.

Columbia directed further comment to Land Lease, the international general contractor overseeing the demolition work. The firm hired Breeze International of Brooklyn to perform the job. Breeze had received two stop work orders on the project from the Department of Buildings for failure to notify the city that the work had commenced, but those violations were rectified shortly thereafter and the work resume.

Land Lease released a statement that recounted the details of the accident, noting that the building was between 80 and 100 years old and that Breeze had a full-time safety inspector on duty when the accident took place around 8 a.m. "We are working with Breeze, DOB and the BEST squad to determine how this incident occurred," the statement concluded, referring to the Department of Building's Building Enforcement Safety Team. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the deceased worker's family and the family of the injured along with all workers on site this morning."

This is not the first accident at the 17-acre Manhattanville site. Two years ago, a worker suffered a heart attack and fell down an elevator shaft during a different demolition project. Contractors promised to increase safety at the site following the incident, and workers said they were satisfied with the changes. That project was also handled by Breeze International.

Reporting contributed by Daniel Edward Rosen.

mchaban [at] observer.com | @MC_NYC

The diminutive building before demolition. (Property Shark)

The collapsed structure. (DNAinfo)

The new Columbia campus in Manhattanville has had its share of problems from community protests to eminent domain lawsuits. Now comes the worst incident yet, as a building being demolished by the university collapsed today, trapping three construction workers inside, according to DNAinfo, one of whom died shortly after being pulled from the rubble.

DNAinfo had a dramatic account of the rescue effort at 604-606 West 131st Street:

The workers were cutting a structural beam at the building's perimeter wall when steel, concrete and red brick began raining down on them, officials from the Department of Buildings and FDNY said.

Two of the workers, including the individual who died, were partially buried by rubble near the center of the building. The third person was buried near the building's northwest corner about 50 feet from them, officials said.

Emergency responders had to tunnel under the rubble to reach the third man, who was trapped for about 45 minutes and suffered head injuries.

Both DNAinfo and The Real Deal note that the building had been hit with a number of building code violations.

In a statement, Borough Presiden Scott Stringer decried the incident, though he did not call out Columbia for any wrongdoing.

Columbia had not yet prepared a statement about the accident when contacted by The Observer.

mchaban [at] observer.com | @MC_NYC

Elevator victim Suzanne Hart (courtesy of Facebook)

Both the DOI and the DOB interviewed interviewed employees from Transel Elevator, Inc., the company that worked on several elevators in the building, and reviewed video footage of the lobby and the 12th floor of 285 Madison Avenue to confirm that the elevator was indeed not very safe at all:

"•  Witness testimony and other evidence support the finding of a forensic examination that the safety circuit was bypassed on elevator 9, the one involved in the fatality, allowing the elevator to accelerate upwards with its doors open.

• Workers from Transel Elevator failed to follow basic safety procedures before the incident, such as placing caution tape across the elevator’s door jamb, and notifying DOB to inspect the elevators before putting them back in service, as required by the New York City Building Code."

On the morning of the December 14, 2011 accident, witnesses told both agencies that an elevator mechanic had used a "jumper" wire to bypass certain safety circuits so that it could be used during the busy morning rush. "Jumper" wires are commonly used during elevator maintenance and repairs, the DOB said, but have to be removed once the elevator is back in operation.

Ms. Hart, a Director of New Business Content and Experience at Young & Rubicam, was entering elevator 9 when the elevator doors suddenly shut on her leg, a Fire Department official said at the time. The elevator shot upwards with Ms. Hart still trapped in the elevator door, getting pinned between the first and second floors, with Ms. Hart's body apparently being the one thing that stopped the elevator's momentum.

Ms. Hart, 41, was declared dead at the scene.

Transel Elevator owner John Fichera had his "Private Elevator Agency Director's" license suspended by the DOB today, and the agency will seek to revoke it at an administrative hearing, it said in a press release today. Transel Elevator is forbidden from performing any elevator upgrades or inspections until a new license holder has been appointed.

In addition, the company was already slapped with 23 violations that carry a penalty of at least $117,000.

"The investigation starkly showed elevator safety protocols were ignored," said DOI Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn. "These findings are a caution to all licensed building professionals in the City, especially those in the elevator industry," she added.

The DOI and The DOB have shared their investigative findings with the office of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr., both agencies announced in their press release.

Last year, Young & Rubicam, a longtime tenant at 285 Madison Avenue,  committed itself to 340,000 square feet of space at 3 Columbus Circle.

drosen@observer.com 

NOT a photo of the elevator in question (courtesy of Getty Images)

The Observer was forwarded an email from Young & Rubicam Global Chief Executive Officer David Sable, who confirms that it was Y&R's Director of New Business Content and Experience Suzanne Hart who was killed in this morning's freakish elevator accident at 285 Madison Avenue.

According to our source, everyone in the office will be working from their homes tomorrow, and that the building is now starting to be fully evacuated.

The email from Mr. Sable reads:

December 14, 2011

This is a tragic day for all of us.

This morning, as you know, we had a fatal elevator accident.

And I am deeply saddened to tell you that our beloved Suzanne Hart was killed.

Suzanne was, in fact, a member of my team and someone I worked closely with, truly respected and, quite simply, adored.

Yesterday, I sat at lunch with her and I know this news will be shocking to all of you, as it is to me.

Suzanne was, in fact, beloved by everyone who knew her.  And we will, at the right time, all have a chance to memorialize her as she deserves.

We know that this is a horrible, unthinkable piece of news to absorb.  There are counselors on their way to the building and we will have them in the building throughout the week.

We will go floor-by-floor to give you further updates shortly.

David

UPDATE (3:52 P.M.)

Suzanne Hart's Facebook Profile Picture

The NY Times has all the gory details of Ms. Hart's terrible, cringe-inducing death:

A Fire Department official described the accident as follows:

Her foot or her leg are heading into the elevator while the door is open. Her one foot is in the car; but then, the doors close on her leg and the elevator shoots upward. And she is just kind of yanked up with it. Then, the elevator car becomes pinned between the first and second floor. It seems like her body is what stops the elevator’s movement.

(Shudder).

Meanwhile, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer just released a statement about today's elevator accident, demanding that the Department of Buildings mount a full investigation into why the elevator remained operational, despite reports that it had received at least four unsatisfactory ratings in the last two years.

The statement is as follows:

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the woman who was killed in today’s horrific elevator accident on Madison Avenue, and to the two other people who were injured. I want to thank the City’s emergency responders for their quick action on the scene.
I am deeply troubled by reports that this building’s elevator system received at least four unsatisfactory ratings in the last two years. I urge the Department of Buildings to mount a full investigation, so this kind of tragedy will never happen again.
In recent years, we have seen these types of accidents before.

In 2008, I issued a report called Dangerous Neglect which found that 75% of NYCHA elevators were failing routine inspections between the years of 2003 and 2008. Included in our report was a recommendation that a more detailed set of grades and information should be made available to the public online, so New Yorkers know whether or not the elevator they are riding to work is safe. If a defect has been found – as was the case with one or more elevators in this building - New Yorkers deserve to know the nature of that defect.

We should also reexamine the consequences of unsatisfactory inspections to insure that a failed inspection cannot be ignored; strong and hefty fines for repeat offenders must be enforced to the maximum extent of the law. The City must put in place every mitigation possible to insure that a tragic like this is prevented in the future.

drosen@observer.com

(Image courtesy of Getty)

The accident happened at some point around 10:30 A.M.  inside 285 Madison —the soon-to-be former home of advertising giant Young & Rubicam.

The NY Post reports:

The victim, who was not identified, walked into the elevator at about 10:30 a.m. on the first floor at 285 Madison Avenue at 40th Street.

Witnesses said the elevator, with two other people aboard, started to ascend to the second floor with its doors open.

As office workers looked on in horror, the woman became pinned between floors after the elevator started to move before she could fully enter the car.

The two other passengers suffered minor injuries in the collapse.

Young & Rubicam recently committed to 340,000 square feet of space at 3 Columbus Circle after being at 285 Madison Avenue for roughly 80 years.

A Young & Rubicam spokeswoman could not be reached for comment.

UPDATE:

The NY Times is reporting that the deceased is Suzanne Hart, 41. There is a Suzanne Hart who is the Director of New Business, Content and Experience at Young & Rubicam, according to her LinkedIn page, but it was not immediately clear if she was the actual victim.

drosen@observer.com

Cathie Black (Patrick McMullan)

The New York Post this morning reports that former city schools chief Cathie Black, like Lizzie Grubman and Jay Gatsby before her, had a crack-up in the Hamptons this weekend, smashing her SUV into a tree while leaving a party. Her publicist tells The Post that Ms. Black was not inebriated; nor was Ms. Black injured after denting her car on trees in the driveway of developer Ben Krupinski.

We recently spotted Ms. Black at a society luncheon for Nelson Mandela, during which she told us that she was taking the summer off before deciding what her “next-next,” as she called it, would be. “I’m not dealing with any of it in the summer!,” she told us, without revealing that “it” extended not merely to job prospects but also safety behind the wheel.

ddaddario@observer.com :: @DPD_

Khloe and Lamar

The boy who collided with Lamar Odom’s car last Thursday has died as a result of injuries he sustained during the accident. Mr. Odom was a passenger in the SUV that hit the Queens teenager.

The incident occurred in Jamaica, Queens where, in a tragic twist of fate, Mr. Odom was allegedly attending a cousin’s funeral. The SUV hit a motorcycle which then hit the teen who was walking down the street at the time.

In typical form, both Odom’s wife Khloe Kardashian (who was not in the vehicle at the time) and Lamar took to twitter to express their condolences today. Apparently deeply religious (who knew?) Khloe tweeted a slew of vaguely relevant bible passages.

Khloe quoted Matthew 6:34 yesterday, writing, “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” She also tweeted a verse from Peter about hospitality. We can’t help wondering if she is using the random bible verse generator app on her phone.

She was soon back to her perky, tweeting self, announcing to her 3.6 million followers, “Time to wake up my hubby. This will take at least and hour! LOL who else takes a long time to finally get out of bed?”

Lamar, however, was more to the point. Earlier today he tweeted the message, “My thoughts and prayers are with the young boys family...”

The last collateral damage from a Biden touchdown occurred in New York City on Thursday, August 5, when two police motorcyclists escorting Biden's motorcade had a minor accident. Prior to that incident, in November, 2009, an NYPD vehicle driving at the head of a Biden motorcade through Manhattan ran into a livery cab.

At this time, the State of New York has no plans for a Biden Emergency Alert Service.