TRAGIC END

Dad dies after being hit by piece of fire escape

A LONG Island father of three died early Saturday of injuries from a 150-pound chunk of fire escape that fell seven stories onto his head.

Richard Marchhart, 58, of Garden City, never awoke after the metal step dropped from above Friday, leaving him unconscious on a SoHo sidewalk with a fractured skull and a head laceration.

The suburban dad had two sons and a daughter, according to a neighbor who recalled Marchhart (photo) as “a great guy.” A friend arrived at his home carrying flowers before a woman answering the door declined to speak.

“I’m sorry but I can’t talk to you right now,” she said. “It’s too soon.”

He died at Bellevue Hospital about 12 hours after the afternoon tragedy that left him unresponsive. A second hard-luck victim of the falling metal remained at Bellevue recovering from her injuries. Nathalia Medllin, 24, of Queens, was walking with a friend when she was struck in the head as well.

Medllin, a native of Colombia, was headed back to classes at the New York Academy of Art when hit around 1:30 p.m. A friend walking alongside her escaped injury by only a few feet. Witnesses described a terrifying scene after the step hit the unsuspecting victims as they walked below. Both were left bleeding on the sidewalk as passersby called for help outside the building at 434 Broadway.

One woman stood in the street crying hysterically after seeing the accident’s aftermath.

Authorities said the 4-footby-6-inch piece snapped off as a private engineer was inspecting the building facade.

The metal step broke free when she stepped onto the fire escape, but the engineer was able to boost herself back to safety.

The Buildings Department issued a violation Friday for the owner’s failure to maintain a safe building.