Mom holding 1-year-old dies after falling down NYC subway stairs
An underlying medical condition appears to have played a role in the death of a young mother who fell down the stairs of a New York City subway station. The New York City Police Department said 22-year-old Malaysia Goodson was holding her one-year-old daughter and pushing a stroller full of shopping bags when she fell down the stairs at a station in midtown Manhattan Monday night.
"While the cause of death is pending in this case, we can state that there is no significant trauma, and this fatality appears to be related to a pre-existing medical condition," Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Barbara Sampson said in a statement Wednesday.
No details were released on the type of medical condition. Goodson's daughter was not seriously injured in the fall.
Earlier, police said they found no evidence of wrongdoing connected with the death. They reviewed surveillance video and said Goodson wasn't pushed, and that no problems were found with the stairs, railing or floor.
Her family is devastated. They said she was a vibrant young woman devoted to her family, especially her daughter.
"When I was on my way to the hospital last night, I was praying that it wasn't her the whole time," said her brother, Dieshe Goodson.
The woman's fall called attention to an issue disability rights activists have been pointing to for decades. Only 118 of the 472 subway stations in the city have elevators. Funding has been secured to upgrade accessibility to 26 more.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called it "a heartbreaking tragedy that never should have happened."
"The subway system is not accessible for everyone and that's an environment the MTA should not allow," he tweeted.
This is a heartbreaking tragedy that never should have happened. The subway system is not accessible for everyone and that’s an environment the MTA should not allow. https://t.co/X89fQep0LY
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) January 29, 2019
The MTA, which is responsible for public transportation in New York, called Goodson's death "a heartbreaking tragedy" that they're investigating along with the NYPD and Medical Examiner's Office.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help pay for her daughter's education.