A man who was walking in New York City when a piece of a fire escape plunged off of a seventh story apartment and struck him has died, police said.
The man was walking through SoHo on Howard Street at Broadway, near Little Italy.
The stair came loose when an engineer, hired by the building owner to inspect the building, stepped onto the fire escape.
The piece of metal fell and hit two pedestrians, with the bulk of the damage being done to 58-year-old Richard Marchhart.
His two sons are in college.
A 24-year-old woman who was also struck was treated for minor injuries.
The building inspector was able to recover when the stair gave way, officials said.
Officials with the Department of Buildings have launched an investigation. All buildings taller than six stories are legally required to be inspected by department officials every five years.
A previous inspection of the building’s facade in 2013 found no unsafe conditions.
