The 10-foot long metal pipe crashed to the ground in front of a McDonald's from scaffolding two doors down, where a company called West New York Restoration was building the scaffolding as part of a facade-cleaning project.
According to fellow workers at the site, one of them just lost his grip on the pipe, dropping it 18 stories to the ground below.
The impact bent the pipe and left a dent in the sidewalk.
EMS arrived on the scene and transported the victim, who had bought coffee from a Cafe Metro moments earlier, to Bellevue Hospital.
She suffered two broke ribs and a neck injury. She is listed in serious condition.
A building inspector was on the scene surveying the damage. The Buildings Department has issued a stop work order as a result of the incident.
As a result of an earlier incident, the Department also issued violations for failure to safeguard persons or property during construction, failure to report an accident, and scaffolding does not conform to approved plans.
