A heavy metal storefront security gate detached without warning from a building on 13th Avenue in Boro Park on Thursday, sending the large structure crashing to the sidewalk but, b’chasdei Hashem, narrowly missing a woman who had been walking past at that moment.

Video footage shows that had the woman been even a step closer, the outcome could have been far more serious, chas veshalom.

The gate,  a typical accordion-style metal security screen common to storefronts along the busy commercial thoroughfare, fell to the sidewalk with significant force. The woman was shaken but uninjured.

“People need to check their gates, as they age they could become damaged,” Yossie Jacobson, who works at an eyeglass store not far from the scene told Belaaz. “It’s a good idea to periodically have a professional check, both for the safety of passerby and to prevent break-ins.”

The incident drew a crowd of onlookers on the bustling street. Emergency services responded to the scene.

The cause of the detachment — whether due to aging hardware, improper installation, or other factors — was not immediately known.