Death in the subway: dozens of people died in the New York subway in 2020

Dozens of people died under New York City subway trains in 2020, despite COVID-19 dropping passenger traffic. The edition told in more detail NYDailyNews.

Elvis Rodriguez was in the last leg of his shift on September 25 as a train driver when the unthinkable happened. When his 400-ton train entered the Jamaica Van Wyck station in Queens at 23:40 pm, the man jumped out from behind the platform support on the rails.

Rodriguez slammed on the emergency brakes, but New York City subway trains can't stop instantly. The first three carriages were run over by a man who was apparently planning suicide before stopping.

However, a few minutes later the battered man got out from under the train and rushed to the platform opposite, the dumbfounded people restrained him and called an ambulance.

The tragedy was prevented, but the incident still deeply affected Rodriguez.

“You can't forget about it,” said 33-year-old Rodriguez. - It just goes on and on and on. It plays in your head non-stop. "

The man who jumped in front of Rodriguez's train was one of the lucky ones. He survived.

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As of December 17, the MTA has recorded 158 similar incidents this year. Of these, 58 were fatal.

This is almost equal to the pace of 2019, when 62 people died on the rails. But at the same time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the daily number of passengers has decreased by more than 75%.

According to reports of internal incidents, at least 32 people killed by subway trains this year jumped off platforms in front of the train, meaning they committed suicide.

Another 11 people did not commit obvious suicide. During each of these incidents, the train crews did not report seeing victims. But the train's emergency brakes worked automatically, and eventually bodies were found.

“These are all tragedies, and we deeply care for the victims and their families,” said MTA spokesman Ken Lovett. “This is further evidence that much more urban resources need to be devoted to mental health and the city’s crisis.”

Train crews believe the pandemic has prompted more New Yorkers to use the subway as a means to commit suicide.

“People are going through a lot of stressful situations now. Everyone knows someone who died of the virus, ”said 39-year-old Jose Melendez, who drove the number 2018 train that hit the woman in October 1.

Last year, Melendez began working with the Local 100 transport workers union, which represents the majority of urban transport workers and all train operators.

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Subway train operators must focus on the rails ahead in order to get their jobs done. Eight hours a day, five days a week, these teams operate the heaviest machinery in New York to safely transport millions of people to their destination.

They are always on the lookout for jumpers or anything strange on the way ahead, but stopping someone who is contemplating committing suicide is not very easy.

Melendez spent eight months on forced leave, seeing a psychologist every week. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. So is Rodriguez, who, after three months, still cannot continue to drive trains.

“From the very beginning, I had many questions. What could I have done differently? - said Melendez. - Many train drivers are the same. They are confused. They blame themselves when they just do their job. "

Contract drivers are required to take three days off after such an incident, and many spend months compensating workers after their train hit someone. Sometimes injured operators are denied leave or compensation, leading to divisions among union officials.

Michael Zalackas, 65, was at work on Labor Day when the emergency brakes applied to the train. He searched and found a decapitated man behind the last car of the train.

He returned to work a week later but never got paid for his three days off after MTA officials said the temporary leave only applies to drivers who witness suicide.

“They always talk about safety,” Zalackas said. - I was surprised that I had to go to work a few days after it happened. I didn't have time to get over it. "

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Emergency services are responsible for cleaning up the bodies, which are usually cut into several dozen pieces. The remains are sometimes stored in metro lounges where detergents are stored while representatives from the medical examiner's office are awaited.

MTA teams are also sent to "disinfect" railroad tracks after a person dies.

In February of last year, a man jumped in front of a train that entered Union Square. His body was sandwiched between the rails and the electrified third rail and continued to smolder and smoke. It took the crews more than two hours to clean up the scene.

Rodriguez hasn't returned to work since September - and not sure if he will ever want to run a New York City subway train again. He would prefer to move to another job, for example, as an electrician, but there is less salary.

Melendez said almost all train drivers who are injured by jumpers return to work, but this requires long-term therapy.

“It took me a while to realize that I didn't kill anyone,” Melendez said. - I had a psychologist, but there were also colleagues. We don't have a support group, but we care about each other. "