An elderly man was hit by a New York City subway and injured after he was shoved onto the train tracks Sunday.
The incident occurred at the Fulton Street station in lower east side Manhattan around 11:30 a.m., the Associated Press (AP) reported. As the C train approached the platform, the 62-year-old man was suddenly pushed from behind, according to the AP. He came in contact with the first car of the subway before falling onto the tracks, The Washington Post reported.
The victim, whose name has not been released to the public, suffered a leg laceration and was brought to the New York Presbyterian Hospital for treatment, according to the Post. His current condition is unknown. (RELATED: Apparently Random Stabbing Part Of Huge Surge In NYC Subway Crime)
The NYPD has yet to locate the suspect and make an arrest, the outlet reported.
#BREAKING: Man, 62, pushed onto tracks in NYC subway station; suspect sought: police https://t.co/AAgMWnnz7z pic.twitter.com/GkM5GfDxuy
— 1010 WINS (@1010WINS) January 23, 2022
“These incidents are unacceptable and have to stop,” said Janno Lieber, MTA’s Chair and CEO, during an interview with ABC 7’s Bill Ritter. He stated that travelers shouldn’t stand so close to the edge and that the cautionary symbols on platforms are there for a reason. Lieber emphasized, however, that people should feel safe when using the subway.
“I don’t want to tell people that they should stand on subway platforms and feel like they’re, you know, in threat of their lives,” he reportedly said. “There’s no reason people should feel that level of nervousness or risk when they’re using the subway system. We can’t accept that.”
A young woman, Michelle Go, was recently shoved in front of an oncoming train in the Times Square subway station and killed, Fox News reported. The man responsible for her death has been charged with second-degree murder, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Police Search For Man Who Allegedly Sent A Woman Tumbling Down Subway Stairs During Attempted Robbery)
Transit crime complaints have increased by almost 90% in comparison to this time last year, according to NYPD data.
The NYPD rolled out a new initiative Jan. 6 to increase police presence across the New York City subway system. Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said in a press release that “safety throughout the subway system remains a top priority.”
“This comprehensive new approach is centered on having more police officers on train cars talking with riders and listening to them because NYPD officers do not just respond to crime in our city – they prevent it and deter it.”
In addition to the NYPD’s efforts, Democratic New York Mayor Eric Adams has emphasized his goal of decreasing crime throughout the city. Adams has publicly acknowledged transit crime rates, while also admitting he no longer feels safe when taking the subway. (RELATED: Man Chokes Woman Riding Subway, Tries To Rape Her, Police Say)
“We have to deal with the crime. But on Day One [in office], I took the subway system. I felt unsafe. I saw homeless everywhere, yelling on the train. There was a feeling of disorder,” he said at a recent press conference. “We know we have a job to do, and we’re going to do both: We’re going to drive down crime, and we’re going to make sure New Yorkers feel safe in our subway system.”
“Our system must be safe,” he said.
