An elevator malfunction at 285 Madison Avenue, home to WPP-owned agencies Y&R and Wunderman, has left one person dead and two people injured, according to FDNY.
The accident occurred in the elevator bank serving floors one through 12, The New York Times reported. According to The Times, the woman killed is Suzanne Hart. “The networking site Linkedin lists a Suzanne Hart as director of new business content and experience at Y&R,” the paper reports.
Y&R released a statement saying, in part: “We are deeply, deeply saddened to confirm that one of our employees has died. Our focus at this moment is the well-being of our employee’s family and our larger Y&R family. As you can imagine, this is a great emotional shock to all.”
Y&R occupies floors 1 through 8, according to someone who works in the building, while Wunderman takes up the higher floors. According to New York City Dept. of Building records, WPP owns the building.
Hart, 41, was attempting to get on the elevator when it took off without the doors closing, according to NBC New York. The two people who were already on the elevator suffered minor injuries. According to The Times, the elevator pinned a woman between the first and second floors.
The building is also home to WPP agencies including Kang & Lee, the holding company’s Asian-American agency, and Hispanic agency Bravo. All employees at VML, another WPP agency that occupies the third floor, are safe and accounted for, according to a spokesperson.
The building is 25 stories tall, and its elevators have received many violation citations over the years. The complaints were all dismissed by the New York City Department of Buildings, according to BIS records online.
The Y&R Brands agencies recently announced that they would be leaving Madison Avenue for 3 Columbus Circle sometime in mid-2013.
A WPP spokesperson did not return phone calls by press time.
To read the original article in Advertising Age, click here.
