The New York City Department Investigations’ report on the horrifying elevator death of 41-year-old advertising executive Suzanne Hart on December 14, 2011, has now resulted in the firing of Michael Hill, an elevator mechanic with 28 years experience in the field.
According to the New York Daily News, Hill admitted that he “disabled the safety system of Elevator No. 9 minutes before Hart stepped inside and was crushed when the still-open lift jumped upward.”
Hill told investigators he overrode the safety mechanism to allow workers to perform maintenance that day.
Transel Elevator Inc., the company that employed Hill and was responsible for maintaining the elevators at the Young & Rubicam building where Hart was killed, dismissed four other employees who were on site during the accident.
The matter has also been referred to the Manhattan’s District Attorney’s office for possible criminal charges.
