Posted on 07/11/2009 6:07:33 AM PDT by Gordon Greene
Alexa Longueira Suffers Deep Cuts, Bruises After Landing In Raw Sewage, Blames DEP For Leaving Hole Unattended:
Alexa Longueira, a high school sophomore, was walking along Victory Boulevard near Travis Avenue on Staten Island Wednesday evening when she felt the earth move and was plunged into smelly darkness.
She said the manhole she fell in to was left open and unattended with no warning signs or orange cones. She said two workers with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection failed to secure the area as they prepared to flush the sewer.
"It was just really gross and it was shocking and scary," she said. "Because of their careless mistake I got hurt."
Longueira has deep cuts and bruises and said she now has nightmares about falling, but she also did admit she was texting at the time.
"Regardless of whether I'm texting or not if there was a cone there I'm gong to see a big orange cone," she said. "I walk that sidewalk every day, I don't expect a big hole there."
Longueira said she was helped out of the five-foot deep sewer by an apologetic DEP worker.
She went to the hospital and the city opened an investigation, issuing the following statement:
"We regret that this happened and wish the young woman a speedy recovery."
The Longueira family wants more than get well wishes. They may sue. Alexa's mother, Kim, said: "It could have been an elderly person, a mother pushing a stroller. It could have been anyone."
Alexa lost one of her sneakers in the sewer. She does not want it back.
The girl's mother said Alexa will see more doctors next week to get an MRI and check for damage to her spine.
Duh.
I laughed out loud.
I guess that makes me a bad person, huh?
When I was younger , I put my right foot into open manhole getting out of car. banged my shin and face (on pavement) never thought of suing. Just learned to look where I was stepping or walking.
I watched this on the news last night.
Dumb girl shouldn’t get a dime.
Like, uh, .....eughhhhhhhhh.
Bimbo.
Shades of walkmans and train tracks. The dumbing down of society indeed.
But it was also careless neglect on part whoever left the manhole uncovered. That is a dangerous thing.
A scene right out of the Three Stooges.
She’ll sue and there will be an undisclosed settlement.
Yeah I saw her interview this morning. Not even a thought of her own responsibility.
I smell (pugh!) a McDonalds-the coffee’s too hot-lawsuit coming up. Soon to be a joke on light night television and the subject of sitcoms.
Not seeing any further mention of the device, I'd just bet her head didn't let go of the I-pod (or whatever it was).
Remember that urban legend story about the gal who had the major accident and killed 12 kids in her van as it rolled over and over. She supposedly was texting while navigating a corner at highspeed. As the body parts were gathered up the rescue workers found her right arm still firmly grasping her cell-phone ~ in what we might call a "death grip".
“Wz rly grss n shck’g n scry. Cuz of thr crlss mstke I gt hrt”, she said.
her 15 min. of shame
Doubtless taking the advice of her attorney.
This girl walked right into the middle of an active construction site. Lucky she didn't get flushed.
LOLZ
She lost her shoe but held onto her phone. Interesting.
Now THERE was a heck of a comedian. Along with Jackie Gleason it is hard to imagine a funnier pair.
I’ve been watching you Norton.
on an unrelated note.
Do you know why manhole covers are round?
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Because it’s the only shape that prevents the cover from being able to fall through the hole.
They will prosecute her for trespassing.
Yes, but was it marked? It takes all of 5 seconds to put up a couple of pylons.
>>The Longueira family wants more than get well wishes. They may sue. Alexa’s mother, Kim, said: “It could have been an elderly person, a mother pushing a stroller. It could have been anyone.”
I think DEP can prosecute Alexa for illegal dumping into a sewer. :)
Them engineers sure are clever! Of course with a big enough hammer ... ;-)
They’re thinking of suing. It could have happened to some elderly person.
Then let the elderly person sue, you money grubber!!!!
I’m laughing too, this ditz deserves it.
“Friends don’t let friends walk and text” ;-)
Dang, missed the Darwin list by thiiis much.
(Wait until she gets a drivers license.)
Clueless parent/genetic donor Alexa's mother, Kim, said: "It could have been an elderly person, a mother pushing a stroller. It could have been anyone."
It wasn't anyone, it was your stupid kid who made a careless mistake of texting while walking. It certainly could have been a lot worse.
On the other hand, she has a future employment opportunity as a train or subway train driver. Texting while operating a train seems to be a job requirement.
She wasn't a sewer worker, and had little expertise until this happened.
Lawyer speak for "Pay me".
Welcome to the third world .
>>Raw Sewage
Hey, s-— happens
>>she does admit she was texting at the time
Who does she think she is, a bus or subway driver for the
MBTA (Boston)?
Probably "in" on this scam. More to follow
Obviously she cant text and walk at the same time, forget the gum...
Got that right - just looking at him brings a smile.
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My kids don’t have texting. They are in high school and would LOVE to have the option. But not having texting has shown them how it feels to be with a friend while the friend spends the whole time texting to other people. When they do obtain texting, on their own dime, I hope they will be more considerate of those around them.
I am not at all surprised this girl fell in a hole. Kids hold their phones like a block of gold, caress it like a lover, and attend to it like it holds the key to life and death. Maybe cell phones are the new golden calf to these kids.
I have to admit that I think this is as much if not more the fault of the folks who left the manhole open as the girl who wasn’t watching where she was going. Only a complete idiot or a vandal would leave an open manhole.
We need more open manholes to rid the world of two legged things that text message!
How many people would not be alive if there were not laws protecting them?
It is a sidewalk she walks everyday. It damn well better be marked. As of now, no one has contradicted her claim.
I resent the fact that they call them manholes.
Besides, she was "texting" ~ it's not believable she was aware of anything outside what she was playing with.
My aunt fell into a man hole and was badly injured years ago. The cover was on, but it wasn’t on correctly and when she stepped on it, it flipped and she went down. Taught me NEVER to step on a man hole cover even if it is on correctly.
Exactly. You could be reading the Wall Street Journal or War and Peace or listening to music or watching some half-naked girl in the distance, it doesn't matter what the distraction is. This is a public sidewalk, people are not expecting an open manhole. There was negligence here if the girls story is true.
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