New York girl Greta Greene dies after being struck by brick debris

A two-year-old girl died on Monday, just one day after she was struck by masonry which had fallen from a New York City nursing home on Sunday.

Two-year-old Greta Greene was being held in her grandmother's arms while she sat on a bench on Manhattan's Upper West Side when a large chunk of brick fell from an eighth-floor window ledge.

The debris struck the child in the head resulting in traumatic brain injuries and also caused her grandmother, Susan Frierson, 60, minor injuries.

'I was walking down 76th when I heard the screams. The kid was gushing blood from her head,' said nearby resident Tsvi Kohl, about the horrific accident which happened just after 11am.

'Me and three other ladies tried to give [the child] CPR and see if she had a pulse and was breathing. She was breathing but barely . . . There was no movement, no function, no cry. Just a beautiful baby girl,' said Kohl.

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Injured: Two-year-old Greta Greene (left) died one day after being struck by falling debris from a New York building

Greta (pictured being taken to hospital) died one day after she was knocked unconscious by falling debris as she sat with her grandmother Susan Frierson, 60

CPR: Greene (photographed) died one day after she was knocked unconscious by falling debris as she sat with her grandmother Susan Frierson, 60

Greta's distraught parents, Stacy and Jayson were by her side when they made the decision to remove her from life-support.

According to the New York Post, Frierson was left in shock after the horrific accident.

‘I saw the grandma stagger. She was holding the baby in her arms,’ said Nelson Amaya, a doorman at a nearby building.

This is not the first time the building's aging facade has gained attention.

The owners reportedly paid the city's Building Department $6,467 in fines in 2010-2011 for failing to show they had performed an inspection of the building's exterior on time.

A department inspector who declined to give his name to the Post said the building looks old and noted that the building has 'obviously' fallen into disrepair.

The grandmother was struck in the ankle and wrist, suffering minor injuries, according to the New York Times.

'I just heard something fall down hard. All I heard was a big boom. When I look I see a woman picking up the baby. I see the baby lifeless,' Nelson Amaya, a doorman at the Esplanade, told CBS.

Frierson (pictured) was struck in the ankle and wrist and was treated in hospital for minor injuries

Struck: Frierson (photographed) was struck in the ankle and wrist, she was taken to a hospital and is expected to make a full recovery

Greene and Frierson were sitting on a sidewalk bench (photographed) when the brick facade tumbled down

Tumble: Greene and Frierson were sitting on a sidewalk bench (photographed) when the brick facade came tumbling down

It is unclear what caused the debris to fall, but the city's Building Department said that the eighth-floor window ledge (pictured after incident) may have become waterlogged by rain, causing it to crumble

Window Ledge: It is unclear what caused the debris to fall, but the city's Building Department said that the eighth-floor window ledge may have become water-logged by rain causing it to crumble

The child was initially unresponsive, but nurses from inside the building rushed to the scene, performing CPR on the child until EMS arrived. The girl regained consciousness, CBS reports.

The child was rushed to the New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center where she was listed in critical condition and underwent surgery.

The Post reports that doctors had to remove a section of the toddler's skull to relieve swelling and bleeding in the brain.

The toddler died on Monday, the New York Daily News reports. .

Frierson was taken to the hospital as well where she was treated for the minor injuries, NBC reports. She is expected to make a full recovery.

It is unclear what caused the debris to fall, but the department told CBS that the eighth-floor window ledge may have become water-logged by rain causing it to crumble.

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Soon: Helen Rosenthal, a city councilwoman representing the area, vowed to work with the department to ensure the building is made safe for the public as soon as possible

A department spokesman told the Times that a code violation has been issued to the owner of the building, Esplanade Venture Partnership.

The violation cited the owner's 'failure to maintain the property in a safe and code compliant manner.'

The spokesman said the property owner is being required by the department to construct a sidewalk shed to protect the public.

Helen Rosenthal, a city councilwoman representing the area, vowed to work with the department to ensure the building is made safe for the public as soon as possible, according to the Times.

She added: 'Our hearts and prayers are with the victim and her family...'

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Jenniffer Sheldon

Update: 2024-02-13

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