While clearing snow from the steps of the entrance of her Brooklyn brownstone, a 74-year-old woman, Dale Singer, was struck and killed by falling bricks and concrete on Tuesday, February 13. The building where Ms. Singer rented the townhome is located at the corner of 54th Street and Sixth Avenue in Sunset Park.
Around 12:30 p.m., a significant section of the decorative brick exterior above the front door of the three-story Brooklyn building fell off. The falling masonry was so robust that it dented the staircase railing and pulled apart the fence in front of the property.
According to news reports, surveillance video showed Ms. Singer on the stairs when the façade began to collapse. She was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The Department of Buildings (DOB) conducted a thorough inspection of the 120-year-old building and issued a Vacate Order. The DOB also issued a violation to the property owner for failing to maintain the structure and directed the owner to engage a structural engineer and produce a report on the building’s condition.
There was no indication that the collapse was a direct result of the snowstorm that hit New York on Tuesday, according to DOB spokesperson Andrew Rudansky.
Following the tragedy, the Fire Department requested a structural stability evaluation of the two-family property.
As of Tuesday afternoon, city contractors were installing a sidewalk shed around the building to protect public safety, with the property owner financially responsible for the construction.
The American Red Cross is helping five people obtain temporary housing.
