Exclusive: Witness Describes Subway Push That Killed Michelle Go In Times Square: 'I See This Man Start Charging'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- We're learning new details about the woman who was pushed in front of a subway train and killed in Times Square on Saturday, and for the first time, we're also hearing from a woman who witnessed the attack.
She spoke exclusively Sunday to CBS2's Kiran Dhillon.
"It was kind of surreal. It was mainly, like, I was seeing what was happening," Maria Coste-Weber said.
Coste-Weber says, in a split second, she witnessed a nightmare unfold right in front of her.
The Manhattan resident was in the Times Square station on Saturday morning when she noticed a commotion near her.
"As I looked to the left, I see this man start charging towards the tracks, like, with his hands in front of him," she said.
Coste-Weber says she watched in horror as the man pushed 40-year-old Michelle Alyssa Go from behind and right into an oncoming train.
"Just seconds. The train passed. The impact and right, she went in front of it, and then you saw her disappear from the tracks," Coste-Weber said.
Coste-Weber says what happened next is a blur. She and the other passengers scrambled for help.
"We all kind of got in shock and everybody started running up the stairs and stuff like that," she said. "Yeah, it was pretty hard."
Go, an Upper West Side resident, died at the scene.
According to her LinkedIn account, she was a consultant at Deloitte and an avid volunteer.
The New York Junior League says Go worked with the organization's community partners, serving under-resourced and at-risk communities. Go served on a committee for a preventative health education initiative and another committee with the goal of empowering adults on the path to independent success.
Those who worked with Go called her "compassionate" and "instrumental" to their work.
The organization released the following statement --
"The New York Junior League (NYJL) is greatly saddened to learn of the death of Michelle Go under such senseless and tragic circumstances. Ms. Go was a valued member of the NYJL for over 10 years. With a focus on strengthening family units, she served many women and children within our New York community, helping them enrich their lives through education on nutrition. Michelle will be missed by many friends. We call upon the city's leadership to urgently address the lack of mental health and other supports for underserved communities."
She had a bachelor's degree in economics and public policy from the University of California, Los Angeles, as well as an MBA from New York University.
At her building on the Upper West Side, neighbors described her as smart, intelligent and extremely kind.
Natalie Kovach didn't know Go personally but would see her in passing.
"I talked to one of the maintenance workers in the building and he said she was completely lovely. Just a gem, so he was really upset about it," she said.
Simon Martial, 61, is now charged with second-degree murder.
Police say Martial is homeless and has a previous record of three emotionally disturbed incidents. Sources tell CBS2 that Martial has four prior arrests and has spent time in prison.
Police say before the fatal push, Martial also taunted another woman on the subway platform, who managed to escape unharmed.
Coste-Weber wants to see more resources for those with mental illness in the system along with more officers. For now, she is grateful to be alive.
"That could have been me there because I was right next to her," she said. "I feel sad for her, you know, her family. I feel so sad for them."
She adds she is sending her sincerest condolences to the Go family.
CBS2's Kiran Dhillon contributed to this report, which first appeared on Jan. 16.