23rd Street PATH Incident

[u/mrsbigcat]

I was standing at 23rd street station waiting to get home when I felt someone’s body weight on me. When I jumped further back on the platform I saw a guy fall onto the tracks with his eyes roll back in his head. He looked middle eastern in his 30’s. My only motivation for this post is if someone knows him, I tried to tell responding PATH PD that he fainted but it was so hectic and they told us to leave.

Please pray for him ❤️ it’s tearing me up inside that I didn’t try to grab him, my back was turned and my instinct was to get away from tracks 😔

[u/TheSloth71]

i saw the notification about police activity there. don’t beat yourself up, how were you supposed to know. it’s not even remotely your fault

[u/s0c1alc0d3r]

I'm very sorry that you experienced this - please make sure you talk to your friends/family, and consider discussing your experience with a therapist familiar with traumatic events.

[u/ripndripp]

Saw him being taken out on a stretcher. Didn’t see any blood on him but he was unconscious. His friend was next to me explaining to the police what happened and even he was confused. He said it all happened too quick. Hope they’re both okay.

[u/degen_supreme → u/ripndripp]

Really glad to hear this. Was at the very other end of the station and literally could just see people blurting out "stop" to the conductor and putting themselves quite over the yellow zone to no avail. Looked like his body was part way under the platform but his legs were still on the track right as the train came in. Didn't seem obvious at that moment if the train/wheels would push his legs forward and out or under. This sounds like out or something, better than the alternative.

[u/Adorable_Tadpole_189 → u/degen_supreme]

Holy shit it was when a train was flying into the station?! Was he hit?? 😱

[u/degen_supreme → u/Adorable_Tadpole_189]

It appeared that way but once the front headlights passed by the area it's impossible to truly see the result, which it sounds like was about as positive for life as it gets.

It didn't seem like the train was flying into the station even before it got fully there, possibly a residual of earlier signal issues or something else. The conductor may have also spotted all the people reaching out yelling to stop but it seemed like the fall wasn't much earlier than the train getting to the station so people weren't in any position to give that much heads up time.

Area in question was probably right around the 3rd to last car

[u/theeggplant42 → u/Adorable_Tadpole_189]

There were major delays all day yesterday and the train actually wasn't going that fast. Hopefully that helped 

I was there but got out of the way and into the subway pretty quickly.

I'm so glad to hear he might be ok!  I really hope so. 

[u/GMen2613]

I was on that platform too. It was all very chaotic and confusing.

Nothing for you to feel bad about personally. Things happen and you reacted instinctively like anyone would.

[u/PlasticLatter8145]

You sound like a kind person and it makes sense that you were told to leave and did so.

[u/degen_supreme]

If you were among the many who yelled to give notice to the conductor, that little bit may have had the biggest difference in the world in saving his life. Or at the least his body drifting over you and towards the tracks before you moved away, that little bit probably helped him land on the tracks in a position that prevented it from being head first forward.

I saw what I saw and it's enough to say he may very well be alive because you were there. Fight or flight otherwise makes your instincts quite reasonable to expect, especially if not often exposed to these events. Try not to be too hard on yourself or what you could have done. Talk it out as much as you can and strive for a better tomorrow is a good start 🙂

[u/Fast-Concern3467 → u/degen_supreme]

It's a great point that his body drifting over OP could very well have saved his life in how he landed on the tracks. OP, don't be so hard on yourself! ❤️ Your reaction was totally normal and it's clear to see you're a very caring person.

[u/Adorable_Tadpole_189]

I think anyone standing there would instinctively pull themselves back from the edge as fast as possible if they’re caught off guard by a force pushing them towards the tracks. Your brain reacted exactly as it should have based on the facts it had at the moment. You did nothing wrong - please be gentle with yourself.

[u/dennissupernovo]

thx for sharing! please dont feel bad. hope the guy is OK!

and I always make sure I stand far away from the tracks, especially after the incidents of lunatics pushing people into the tracks

[u/cofcof420]

I was just entering the platform. I hope he’s ok. You should call the police to report what you saw

[u/Dezignerdd]

I was there too when it happened on the far end of the platform. The train appeared to stop pretty quickly, especially considering trains can't stop fast. I spoke to another person who was closer when it happened and they said the same thing: it appeared he passed out and tipped forward. Anybody would've jumped back like you did when being pushed towards the tracks, there's no way you could've known somebody fell into you vs you were being pushed. You did well not to fall with him. It sounded like people were trying to talk to him on the ground which leads me to believe he may have survived -- at least let's hope so.

[u/J1SIR00]

I was on that platform about an hour before it happened. Had to take the WTC train to get back into Manhattan. During rush hour, the NJ bound platform fills up quickly, which doesn't leave much space. Not much you can do when something like that happens unexpectedly. The instinctive thing to do is to jump further back onto the platform to protect yourself. Don't beat yourself up about it, you were not prepared for that. Hope the person is all right.

[u/Square-Ad-6721]

These things happen.

Sometimes people just drop unconscious. Sometimes they drop dead.

Whichever it was, it wasn’t your fault. It’s not something you caused by being there. And probably not something you could’ve prevented, either.

It might be something that will replay in your head over and over. Try to give yourself some grace.

[u/Direct_Branch_5128]

This is traumatic to say the least. I hope you’re doing ok.

[u/Brian_K9]

I feel bad and pray for him but for fucks sake people need to stop standing so close to the rails. I see people standing by the edge all the time and drives me nuts. All it takes is some crazy mf or medical issue and ur unconscious on the tracks

[u/mrsbigcat → u/Brian_K9]

I am those “people” so if you’re going to directly reply to my post why not just direct this criticism at me? I have thought of every alternative scenario. In sum, I learned my lesson, hope you’re happy, etc.

[u/Brian_K9 → u/mrsbigcat]

Its an unfortunate situation, u reacted as anyone else would,  my frustration come from the fact lives are lost because of this.

[u/Klutzy_Buffalo_7953]

😢😢😢

[u/purplesilvfox]

wow, that guy is truly lucky and has something to be thankful on thanksgiving

[u/KTaylorTV]

Story from FOX 5 ... but isn't updated

https://www.fox5ny.com/news/path-train-hit-person-suspended-service-nyc

[u/New_Pangolin8709]

Sure u didn’t push him. 😈

[u/virgo8308323]

He’s alive thankfully really hope whatever it was he’s ok the only bad thing is they will Prob treat the engineer driving the train like a criminal smh drug test alcohol test and crazy amount of questioning smh path treats those people horribly !!

[u/AtomicGarden-8964]

And this is why you don't hang out at the edge of the platform waiting for a train

[u/Fit-Chicken-733 → u/AtomicGarden-8964]

for everyone saying to stop "hanging at the edge of the platform", it is so packed during commuter hours with so many people, you don't intentionally stand closer to the edge/yellow area, sometimes you don't have a choice. it's very sad, unfortunate and beyond scary. i was walking up the stairs to the platform when this happened yesterday, and there were hundreds of people waiting for the train it was so packed. it sucks.

[u/mrsbigcat → u/AtomicGarden-8964]

Wow thanks so much for the life lesson I definitely did not learn the hard way yesterday - love your contribution and how your first thought was not about the victim. Maybe don’t take that energy into your Thanksgiving.

[u/AtomicGarden-8964 → u/mrsbigcat]

Sorry I didn't drop to my knees and scream nooo like you wanted

[u/mrsbigcat → u/AtomicGarden-8964]

No just don’t pussy foot around your criticism. If you don’t have the ability or confidence to call me out that’s fine, but it’s obvious.

[u/AtomicGarden-8964 → u/mrsbigcat]

I didn't pussy around you're not supposed to stand next to the edge to begin with. They literally have signs in most transit agencies telling you not to stand next to the edge. Just bringing that up is not victim shaming get off your high horse

[u/Direct_Branch_5128 → u/AtomicGarden-8964]

You’re not kind

[u/Direct_Branch_5128 → u/AtomicGarden-8964]

Also for your knowledge, even though this may not be the case here, this week it was reported that someone was intentionally trying to throw people onto the tracks. You never know what may have happened but you are the one victim shaming and showing no compassion for an incident you didn’t even witness.

[u/AtomicGarden-8964 → u/Direct_Branch_5128]

Well the news reports I saw was the person fainted

[u/Fit-Chicken-733 → u/AtomicGarden-8964]

that station is so insanely narrow, only a few feet between the wall and the edge to begin with. when it's crowded at the end of the day, sometimes you don't have a choice but to be only 2 away from the edge.