Body Found On Bronx Subway Tracks Amid Calls To Look At Platform Safety Barriers
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Two people fell onto the tracks at subway stations in the city on Tuesday.
According to the MTA, so far this year, 44 people have died after being hit by oncoming trains. Last year 50 people were killed.
The body of a 17-year-old boy was found on the subway tracks in the Bronx, amid renewed calls to give more thought to adding safety barriers on subway platforms.
Police said officers found the teen at the Hunts Point station in Foxhurst after responding to a 911 call around 2:20 a.m. The teen, who had burn marks on his torso, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Meanwhile, at the 57th Street and Sixth Avenue station, a man fell while waiting for the F train.
Thankfully the man was rescued before the train arrived as Eliton Lima pulled him to safety.
"I saw some brown jacket, what the heck is that? I don't think twice, I just jumped," he said.
The man fell after taking medication. Lima, along with two others pulled him up from the tracks.
"I saw his face on the track, I just moved it a little bit," he said.
Michel Mroue also jumped onto the tracks, after he heard someone yell, "Stop the train!" and saw a person face down covered in blood.
"We didn't even thing about the train coming," Mroue said. "We just pushed him off the track. We carried him and put him up on the platform. It's great to do good and try to save somebody's life."
Mroue said this was the second time in just two months that he helped someone who had fallen onto the subway tracks.
Hours later, at 72nd and Broadway a woman was rescued after she fell onto the tracks.
On Sunday, police said a man pushed another man onto the subway tracks at the 18th Street and 7th Avenue stop in Chelsea as a train entered the station. The man was taken to the hospital after he was pulled out from under the conductor's car. He is expected to survive.
Newark resident Aaron Clary, 25, was charged with attempted manslaughter and assault, police said.
Last week, police said 49-year-old Connie Watton was pushed onto the tracks in front of an approaching train in Times Square. Her alleged attacker, 30-year-old Melanie Liverpool, was identified by other subway riders who police said witnessed the deadly shove.
As CBS2's Raegan Medgie reported, accidents are prompting some transit officials to put safety first.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority board member David Jones said Monday that agency officials should take a harder look at sliding protective barriers on platforms to prevent riders from getting too close to the tracks.
"I think it's time now, due to the recent tragedies bringing to light what's going on," he said.
Jones said in order to make the protective barriers a reality a study must be done.
"How much it would cost, which stations would be most susceptible to this type of treatment and where the greatest amount of overcrowding occur," he said.
Back in 2012, the MTA looked into the cost of implementing screen doors on platforms. The estimated cost was $1 billion for the entire system, CBS2's Janelle Burrell reported. The agency says the challenges include station columns and curves, and subway cars in different sizes.
Subway riders had mixed opinions about the protective barriers.
"It's a good idea," said Margaritte Charlery of Brooklyn.
"Quite expensive, just need to be nicer to people," said Brad Noll of White Plains.
The MTA has some safety measures in place at some stations, including infrared cameras to detect people on the tracks.
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