subway, MTA
(Queens, NY) – An 18-year-old woman was killed early Tuesday morning when she fainted and fell onto the subway tracks. The MTA says this happened at the Jackson Heights/Roosevelt Avenue Station around 6:30 AM. Apparently the young woman suffered a medical episode of some kind just before fainting.
Tragically, the subway’s motorman saw the teen fall and slammed on the emergency brake, but couldn’t stop the train in time before it struck her. Meanwhile, the MTA plans to install safety screens along platforms later this year, which are designed to prevent falls onto the tracks. The pilot program will install the screens at three stations.
