Man killed after falling off New York City subway platform during fight and being struck by train

A man was struck by a train and killed after falling onto the tracks during a fight in a New York City subway station on Monday. The other man has been taken into custody and on Tuesday was charged with manslaughter.

The two men, identified as Heriberto Quintana, 48, and Carlos Garcia, 50, got into a fight shortly before 5 p.m. ET on Monday at Roosevelt Avenue-74th Street station in Jackson Heights, a neighborhood in Queens, police said. According to CBS New York, Quintana bumped into Garcia, causing Garcia's phone to fall onto the tracks. An argument ensued over who should retrieve it, CBS New York reports.

The argument became physical and, during the course of the fight, Quintana fell onto the tracks as an F train was approaching the station, police said. Quintana was struck by the train, causing "severe trauma to the body," police said. Quintana was taken to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

It was not immediately clear if Quintana was deliberately pushed onto the tracks or if he fell accidentally during the course of the fight.

Charlton D'souza, president of passenger advocacy group Passengers United, told CBS New York that Quintana is the ninth person to be killed in the transit system this year. 

"For anyone to lose their life over a fight, I mean what is that? What does that say about our society?" D'souza said.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is studying the problem of people falling, or even jumping, onto the tracks, CBS New York reports. The MTA earlier in 2022 installed platform gates at three subway stations as part of a pilot program that could be expanded in the future, CBS New York reports.