Officials call for change after 24-year-old woman falls to death from rooftop party

Monday, May 24, 2021

Calls for change after woman dies in fall from NYC rooftop

Officials say the woman's death is the latest in a string of documented and reported weekly parties that far exceed safe occupancy levels on East Village rooftops.

EAST VILLAGE, Manhattan (WABC) -- Elected officials in Manhattan are calling for change after they say a woman fell from a rooftop during an overcrowded party and died.

The incident was reported around 3 a.m. Saturday near East 12th Street and Avenue A.

The 24-year-old woman was taken to Bellevue hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Officials say the woman's death is the latest in a string of documented and reported weekly parties that far exceed safe occupancy levels on East Village rooftops.

They say there is also a noise issue associated with the parties.

The elected officials say partygoers have even recently been reported to jump from rooftop to rooftop during the gatherings.

Elected officials have sent letters to City Hall and building managers, but NYC Councilmember Carlina Rivera is working on two bills to address the issue.

"We are all thinking about the family of the young person who lost their life on Saturday morning. This tragedy shows just how dangerous overcrowded or mismanaged rooftop parties have become, and how often they have little to no safety protections or monitoring," Rivera said. "We will continue to pursue my legislation to ensure agency responses so that these deadly situations do not happen again. But landlords are ultimately responsible for ensuring outdoor spaces are legally and safely accessible, and are not used improperly. If you make the decision to buy a building, you are responsible for the lives of its residents. And these landlords are not living up to that responsibility."

One introduced bill would require tenants to sign and acknowledge their understanding of the city's noise codes and another that is planned to be introduced soon requires better oversight of rooftop use and capacity.

"The tragic death of a woman who fell from a roof during a party in the East Village on Saturday is a painful reminder that City Hall and property managers are failing to step up when it comes to rooftop parties," said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. "As New York City begins to emerge from the pandemic and people start to gather again, I join my colleague Council Member Carlina Rivera in demanding a Council hearing and a City Hall review of building code enforcement procedures on this issue."

The investigation into Saturday's incident is ongoing.