A person was struck by a train in Brooklyn this morning. According to FDNY, the incident happened just after 11:30 a.m. this morning at the 4th Avenue-9th Street Station in Park Slope. The person was reportedly struck by an M train, and was taken to Methodist Hospital. FDNY said they weren't sure what the condition of the person was, but initial reports indicate the person may have been DOA at the scene. We'll update once we have more information.
Due to the investigation, southbound R trains are running express from DeKalb Avenue Station to 36 Street Station. In the past week alone, three people have been killed, one person has had a leg severed, and two others have been seriously injured in separate subway incidents.
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said that this recent surge of subway deaths means “we’re really on pace now to hit 116” in 2013. In light of this, Stringer and Transportation Commission Chairman James Vacca have now called for, respectively, an in-depth investigation and emergency hearings into these deaths, and what can be done to prevent more from happening.
Update: According to cops, the victim was a male, and was an "apparent suicide jumper." He is in critical condition at Methodist Hospital, and is "likely to die." They add that no criminality is suspected.
Update: The Post reports that the man jumped in front of a southbound R train, despite initial reports it was a M train. Subway service has now been resumed in both directions at the station.
Update: Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer released this statement about the incident:
Another attempted suicide cannot become a common-place occurrence in one of the largest transit systems in the world. This is a troubling and dangerous trend with serious implications for the millions of commuters who ride the subway each day. With six fatalities so far in 2013, New York is on pace to reach nearly 100 deaths this year. I renew my call for an investigation by the MTA inspector general to determine why accidents are on the rise and what can be done to make our subway system safer.