Falling Ice Demolishes Parked Car on Manhattan Street; Owner Unfazed

A large chunk of ice apparently fell from a building in Manhattan, crushing the roof of a parked SUV below.

It happened just after 4 p.m. Tuesday on Charlton Street in SoHo.

The FDNY responded to the scene and said there were no reports of injuries.

A photo shows brown, chunky ice atop the vehicle's caved-in roof.

Coltrane Nadler, a software engineer and music producer from South Orange, New Jersey, told News 4 he was the owner of the SUV. He said he parked the Chevy Equinox for an hour and was walking back when he heard a commotion.

"Then I realized that an icicle had fallen off the building and smashed my car," he said. 

It was more than an icicle: a giant block of ice fell 20 stories from the roof and completely caved in the car.

Nadler was surprised to see the damage but simply said it was "kind of funny and random." 

"I have insurance, so I can't complain," he said, adding that he "enjoys the humor in the fact that an icicle hit my car." 

Nadler was trying to get a tow from AAA Tuesday evening when News 4 spoke to him at the scene. 

The city's Department of Buildings said in a statement Wednesday that a leaking water tower on the roof created ice that melted and fell onto the car as temperatures rose. The building's owner was cited for failing to mantain a safe structure, which carries a fine of up to $25,000.

The Buildings Department in a statement Tuesday also advised property owners and contractors to secure properties during snow and ice melt.

"Falling icicles and snow masses from buildings can be dangerous in a dense city such as New York, and can injure pedestrians, damage vehicles, and disrupt transportation if streets must be closed for safety reasons," the advisory said.

If sites are not safely secured, the DOB may issue violations. New Yorkers are encouraged to call 311 to report dangerous snow melt conditions.