A Missouri woman is speaking out after she fell into an open manhole while walking through St. Louis on the Fourth of July.
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Jamie Hassan suffered non-life-threatening injuries after falling into the uncovered hole while walking along a sidewalk.
Hassan said she had just parked her car and was heading to a nearby bar when the frightening incident occurred.
Woman Injured in Shocking Manhole Fall
The uncovered manhole was located near the intersection of Montgomery Street and North Grand Boulevard.
Hassan said there were no working streetlights in the area at the time of the incident, making it challenging to see the opening.
"I hope they address this issue. This is dangerous," she told KMOV. "It's really traumatizing. It was horrible, I was in pain, I was hurting, I couldn't get out of the hole."
A passerby heard Hassan calling for help and pulled her from the manhole before emergency services arrived.
She was later treated at a hospital for minor injuries, including a cut elbow and swollen ankles.
"It's a hazard, I mean children, it can happen to anyone," she added.
Investigation Underway Into Open Manhole
The St. Louis Streets Department told KMOV it is investigating the incident and said it had received no reports of non-functioning streetlights in the area.
According to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for the city's water division told KMOV that the property owner is responsible for maintaining this type of manhole, known as a meter pit, even when it is located on a public sidewalk.
The incident comes after a fatal manhole accident in New York City.
In May, 56-year-old Donike Gocaj died after falling into an open utility manhole in Midtown Manhattan.
The Westchester grandmother reportedly fell about 10 feet after stepping out of her parked Mercedes-Benz SUV near East 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue.
"We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the public has died after falling into an open manhole," a spokesperson for Con Edison told the New York Post.
"We are actively investigating how this occurred. Our thoughts are with the individual's family, and safety remains our top priority."
Emergency responders found Gocaj unconscious inside the utility hole. She was transported to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead.
