Saving the train at the risk of his own life: MTA generously thanked the 'hero of the metro'

This is the highest award the MTA could present to a passenger. Now he will be able to use the metro for a whole year for free. The edition writes about it New York Post.

prehistory

September 20 on the New York subway an emergency happened... The train derailed after hitting a specially thrown object. The incident happened in Manhattan and became one of the most disastrous in New York in recent years.

Police say the culprit is Demetrius Harvard, 30, from the Bronx. When he threw the clamps onto the tracks, one of the eyewitnesses - Rikien Wilder - quickly jumped onto the roadway to clear the abandoned items and clear a path for the arriving train.

MTA decided to express its gratitude to Wilder for the brave act and presented him with a giant MetroCard and the right to use the metro for a year for free. According to Chairman of the Board Pat Foye, it is "the highest award the MTA can give to a civilian." “This is an extraordinary story of heroism,” Foyer said of the exploit of a man who risked his life in an attempt to prevent an accident.

How it all happened

On the morning of September 20, Wilder was waiting for a train at 14th Street station when he noticed a man (presumably Dimitrus Harvard) throwing metal objects on the train tracks. “I went downstairs to see what he did. And he noticed that he put some objects on the top of the rail and next to it, ”said Wilder. “I took what I saw and left because I felt the turbulence from the oncoming train.”

Wilder then rushed to the station worker to warn of the danger.

But when Wilder returned to the platform, he saw that Harvard was back on the rails. He had a "crazy look on his face," the man recalls. Smiling, Harvard piled metal objects back onto the tracks again. “The second time he showed up, it pissed me off,” Wilder said. "Someone needs to destroy everything and wreak havoc to become a little happier, and that worries me."

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When the next train arrived at the station, it hit the metal objects that Harvard had thrown onto the tracks. The culprit, Wilder claims, watched the train crash with a smile on his face. “Watching him smile and watching a train wreck, seeing fire and smoke, it was like a Hollywood set,” Wilder said. “My adrenaline level went up and I thought: I have to do something about it.”

Then Harvard ran. Wilder chased after him. “He tried to get to the turnstile, but I stopped him by grabbing him,” said Wilder.

Rikyen stayed close to Harvard until the police arrived on the scene. “It's hard to hold someone for 15 minutes,” he admitted.

Harvard is accused of creating a situation that posed a threat to others, criminal harm, assault and illegal interference with the work of railway transport. He is now being held on bail of $ 50 thousand for actions that caused damage in the amount of $ 1 million.

"Hero of the subway"

Fortunately, no one was hurt as a result of this incident. Perhaps because Wilder was able to quickly respond to a dangerous situation and warn MTA workers about it in time. “He went down on the tracks, and risking his own life, removed the items. Perhaps he saved the lives of dozens of New Yorkers, including the crew of the New York City Transit, Foyer said. "We usually discourage passengers from getting on the rails, but in this case Mr. Wilder did it in the interest of protecting the lives of New Yorkers and our employees."

NYCT interim president Sarah Feinberg called the move extraordinary. “Without your wits, this crash could have become much more serious, and the perpetrator could have remained free. You are clearly the hero of the subway. And these are not empty words. "

In response, Wilder just shrugged. “I never considered myself a hero,” he replied. "It was a natural reaction."

In addition to the giant MetroCard, Wilder received a poster that read “Metro Hero” and “Rikyen Wilder,” as well as a New York Tough shirt and mask. While the MetroCard is just a souvenir, a year of free metro rides throughout the year is a tangible benefit. “I like it,” he commented.