Large chunk of ice falls from building, crushes teen's car in SoHo
SOHO, Manhattan (WABC) -- A large chunk of snow and ice fell off a building in Manhattan Tuesday, crushing a parked car below.
It happened at about 4:10 p.m. at 70 Charlton Street, a luxury condo building in SoHo.
Police say the snow and ice cascaded down the side of the 21-story building onto the car that was parked on the street.
SCENE PHOTOS: Ice chunk crushes car in SoHo
The ice fell on the car of 18-year-old Coltrane Nadler. "I don't know what to think of it, but it seems it was some sort of sign," he said.
Nadler says he was having an existential crisis, wrestling with mortality, when suddenly, the chunk of ice fell from the sky like a bolt of lightning.
"It was very ironic. I couldn't help but see how funny it was," said Nadler.
He could laugh about it Tuesday night because thankfully no one was injured.
The sidewalk was busy with pedestrians and cars were parked bumper to bumper.
But the icy torpedo zeroed in on Coltrane's car and crushed it just as he was coming around the corner.
"Mine was the only one that got hit. I was lucky and unlucky at the same time, depending on how you see it," he said.
Police closed off the block for several hours while they chiseled off the rest of the ice.
The city buildings department also issued a reminder for owners to make sure their buildings are clear of snow and ice, especially on days when the souvenirs of winter can thaw and fall off of tall buildings.
Meanwhile, Coltrane was told insurance would take care of the repairs so he went to his recording session Tuesday night, no doubt pondering the fragile meaning of life.
"I'm in this situation. I'm experiencing this," he said.
The Buildings Department issued a violation to the owner for failure to maintain the building in a safe and code-compliant manner. A water leak on the roof led to the ice buildup, officials said.
The building owner's contractor helped remove the ice and the streets have since been reopened.
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