From USA TODAY:

"There's a tale we've all heard: A penny dropped from the top of the Empire State Building would fall at such a rate it would impale and kill anyone it hit down below.

The myth somehow weaseled its way through the generations, horrifying elementary school students and causing reasonable people to wonder if a day of New York City sightseeing would be their last.

But quietly, about a decade ago, University of Virginia physics professor Louis Bloomfield put those fears to rest by happily getting pelted with pennies from high above. He answered the question and lived to tell about it."

Full story:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/03/15/what-would-happen-if-you-were-hit-penny-falling-skyscraper/99160982/