NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- An NYC Transit signal worker lost a foot and injured his other leg after he was struck by a subway train while working on the tracks inside a Manhattan subway station Sunday night, authorities said.
Just before 9 p.m., the 26-year-old worker was helping flag for a signal failure investigation near the Eighth Street Station in Greenwich Village when he was hit by an oncoming northbound Q train on a curved section of the express track north of the station, transit union officials said.
Other workers pulled the power for about half an hour following the incident and EMS transported the victim to Bellevue Hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to an MTA spokesman.
The subway train that struck the victim continued to 14th Street where passengers were able to exit, officials said.
So far, it is unclear what led to the collision.
“This tragic is accident is under investigation, but it highlights just how dangerous this job can be,” said John Chiarello, vice president for maintenance of way at TWU Local 100. “Transit workers are out on the system 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making repairs and inspections to keep NY moving.”
An investigation is ongoing according to the head of the agency’s Subway division confirmed.
“Our thoughts and concern go to our colleague, an Electrical Helper who was seriously injured while part of a work crew exploring a report of signal failure on the Broadway line north of Eighth Street station,” Demetrius Crichlow said in a statement. “Stringent safety protocols exist to prevent injuries to transit employees and the Office of System Safety has begun an investigation, which is still in early stages, to determine what happened and recommend any necessary follow-up actions.
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