2 Girls Killed in Elevator Accident; Safety Feature Wasn’t Functioning

A safety mechanism was taped over and not working when two girls were killed in an elevator in a multimillion-dollar home, authorities said.

Someone taped over the sensor that would have kept the car from operating with the gate open, Monmouth County Prosecutor John Kaye said.

The victims of Wednesday night’s accident were identified as Arelia Franco, 7, and her sister, Nanci, 6. Their father, Victoriano Franco, is the groundskeeper for the 10-acre Colts Neck estate.

The girls were lying down in the elevator with their heads partially across the threshold as the car ascended from the basement. They were killed when their heads were wedged against a piece of the elevator shaft.

“If that gate was closed, this would not have happened,” Kaye said.

The girls’ father was out looking for the owner’s dog when the accident happened. When he discovered what had happened, he frantically pried open the elevator doors and severely cut his hands in the process, Kaye said.

Detectives did not know who placed the tape over the sensor. The deaths were considered an accident and not being investigated as a crime, Kaye said.