A young man attending a New Year’s Eve party in Manhattan died saving a woman from a falling lift, and didn’t push her to safety without wishing her a “Happy New Year.”
The tragedy took place at around 11:30 pm on New Year’s Eve on Broome St. in Manhattan, where Stephen Hewett-Brown was stuck in an elevator and trying to escape. 43-year-old Erude Sanchez was about to enter the elevator, seemingly not realizing it wasn’t functioning properly, and Brown pushed her out before falling to his death in the elevator shaft.
The Mirror says a witness, Manuel Coronado, heard Hewett-Brown tell Sanchez “Happy New Year” before pushing her out, and that Brown didn’t know Sanchez; in fact, Brown didn’t even live in the building, he’d traveled from the Bronx to celebrate the new year. Coronado also said that after calling 911, help didn’t come for nearly 30 minutes. Brown would eventually be rushed to New York Hospital in “traumatic arrest,” but his injuries would prove to be fatal.
Since May of 2014, the building has logged three lift defect violations with the Buildings Department of New York City. No one from management has commented yet.
