On a cold, rainy Tuesday morning, just north of Times Square, pedestrians were hurrying under umbrellas past a noodle joint, a Superdry Store and a nail salon. Among them was Erica L. Tishman, 60, a New York architect whose office was a few blocks away. As Ms. Tishman was walking on the southeast corner of Seventh Avenue and 49th Street, the unimaginable happened. A piece of debris from a 17-story building that, officials said, had recently been fined by the city for its unsafe facade, broke off and tumbled to the ground, hitting Ms. Tishman in the head. While the authorities have not said what hit her, an inspection by the Department of Buildings after the accident found cracks in the building’s facade and terra cotta pieces missing.

Source: New York Times December 17, 2019 18:11 UTC