Signage from Bay Ridge dentist office falls, injuring two elderly women

An awning from a Bay Ridge dental office suddenly collapsed, injuring two elderly women.

According to police, on Monday, July 2 at around 5:45 p.m., the awning hanging over Brooklyn Smile,9412 Fourth Avenue, fell off. FDNY was on the scene to remove the debris and signage. Two elderly women who were standing near the building when the sign fell were injured and taken to NYU Langone Hospital- Brooklyn. The injuries are described as non-serious.

Local Francine Grillo was inside the library next door when the sign fell.

“I heard it and we came out,” she said. “There were these two women near it standing under there and I told them you have to get out from under there and they finally moved. They must have been in shock. It was still standing up. The cops came and FDNY cut it down. Someone from the library said, ‘Call 911,’ and these guys were here in a flash. I didn’t see any real injuries. The infrastructure was there. They put this tape all around it. Someone near me said they heard the bang. To me it sounded like something wrong that I couldn’t identify.”

Helicopters were overhead and MTA service at the 95th Street Station was temporarily suspended

Elected officials let area residents know what had happened via social media.

“Just left 9412-4th Avenue and luckily no one was trapped and no one was seriously injured,” said State Senator Marty Golden. “Workers were replacing the sign and overhang without a permit. Two minor injuries taken to NYU Langone. NYPD & FDNY are on scene. Buildings Department notified and is on the way as well

“Big old sign fell off building at 9412 4th Avenue. NYPD, FDNY, ESU responded immediately,” wrote Justin Brannan. “Thank God no serious injuries.”

As of this writing, a stop work order and a full vacate order exist for the building. The city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) issued the former after doing an inspection following the accident, citing work without a permit on the second floor, and the latter after FDNY requested a structural stability inspection due to bricks falling from the façade.

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