A tragic incident occurred in Texas when a 66-year-old woman, Teresa Gonzales, fell into an open manhole while crossing a street on October 22. She was reported missing for three days before her body was discovered nine miles away at the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Dallas Police are treating the incident as an “unexplained death,” ruling out any foul play. An autopsy is currently being conducted by the medical examiner’s office, with results still pending.
The family of the deceased has since filed a lawsuit against the city, seeking $100 million in damages. Cynthia Gonzales, Teresa’s daughter, spoke at a press conference on December 10, expressing her grief and the shock of her mother’s untimely death. She stated that no one should have to endure such a tragedy, regardless of who they are.
Ramez Shamieh, the family’s attorney, held another press conference a few days later. He revealed that additional witnesses from the day of the incident had come forward since the family went public with their lawsuit. According to Shamieh, one witness recounted a conversation they overheard from a passerby, who claimed to have seen four workers arguing over who was responsible for leaving the manhole uncovered.
Shamieh also shared another witness account during the December 13 press conference. The witness claimed to have seen Gonzales fall into the manhole. The witness, who was driving at the time, was reportedly in disbelief at what she had just witnessed, even doing a double take to confirm what she had seen.
The attorney emphasized the severity of the situation, stating that the manhole was not a small opening but a large hole. He further highlighted the danger of the scene on his law firm’s website, citing photographic evidence taken a week after the incident that showed the manhole was still uncovered and had multiple gaps in the metal coverings.
The City of Dallas has yet to comment on the incident or the lawsuit.