BRONX – A man has died and his 5-year-old daughter suffered light injuries on Monday when he jumped in front of a subway train while holding onto the little girl, police and witnesses said.
Join our WhatsApp groupSubscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
A witness said that she saw the man, with the girl cradled in one arm, jump in front of the train as it rounded a curve and slowed at the Kingsbridge Road station just before 8 a.m. His daughter was taken to a hospital; she is expected to be physically OK.
“I watched as that train came around that corner and I saw as the man jumped and I see the little feet hanging out,” said a witness, Jennifer Hub, who described “at least 20, 30 people screaming” as the chaotic scene unfolded.
As the train came to a halt, people jumped onto the tracks to rescue the child, who was safely lifted to bystanders on the platform. “Thank God above,” said the shaken Hub, a mother of four who had just dropped her own 6-year-old off at school. Two good Samaritans also received treatment for minor injuries.
“This is a tragedy and our thoughts are with the family members as well as with our train operator — this is a traumatic event for everyone involved,” MTA spokesman Shams Tarek said in a statement.