Falling Elevator Crushes Wisconsin Man To Death In New York

KIPS BAY, NY – A falling elevator crushed a man to death in a high rise apartment building in Kips Bay Thursday, officials said.

The man became stuck between the elevator and the shaft wall at 8:30 a.m. in the "Manhattan Promenade" building at 344 Third Ave., near East 26th Street, the FDNY said.

According to an ABC News report, Samuel Charles Waisbren, 30, a Fox Point native, was trying to get out of the elevator when it unexpectedly malfunctioned. An ABC 7 report stated that Waisbren was a resident in the apartment building. Later, they spoke with his father. "He is not going to be able to be a father, have a family and live the life we all hoped for him," Waisbren's father said in the report. "He loved New York City."

The New York City Department of Buildings issued a statement Thursday related to the incident:

“DOB is investigating this incident aggressively and will take all appropriate enforcement actions. Elevators are the safest form of travel in New York, due to the city’s stringent inspection and safety requirements. We’re determined to find out what went wrong at this building and seek ways to prevent incidents like this in the future."

It's unknown how the man got stuck. Department of Buildings records show the incident happened between the building's first floor and basement.

Multiple reports have found that building management levied a $1,280 fine May when inspectors over a safety issue with one of the elevators in the building.

Per an ABC 7 report, the citation read: "Door zone restrictor has been tampered with, disabled and rendered inoperative. This is a safety device to ensure elevator passengers' safety. Repair restrictor and contact NYCDOB."

Adam Nichols, Patch Staff contributed to this report.