Baby Falls Onto Tracks at 72nd Street, But is Saved
File photo of the 72nd Street station.
A stroller carrying an eight-month-old baby girl rolled onto the subway tracks on the Broadway line at 72nd Street on Thursday morning. Luckily, no train was coming at that moment.
The stroller rolled off of the platform around 9:15 a.m. because of a wheel lock malfunction, police told the Daily News. A train operator on the other side of the platform saw the stroller fall and called the Rail Control Center as the girl’s father and another person jumped onto the tracks to hoist the baby back up, the News reported. Uptown trains were stopped for about five minutes. The girl was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
“Amazingly, the tot only suffered a small bump on the back of her head,” police said, according to the Post. An MTA worker told the Post that trains normally come into that station about every three minutes. “They got so lucky.”
I was on the downtown platform and saw this happen. It was horrifying to witness. I think the uptown 2 train had actually started to go and then stopped because the operator saw this.
Why doesn’t our city have RAILS AROUND THE TRACK like other “civilized” countries
Not only that, but I wonder if this accident happened at the northernmost end of the platform where it is exceptionally narrow. Much more narrow than other subway platforms.
It did, yes.
Because we want to build a wall around the country instead.
There was just an article in the Times that says that different cars have different door configurations. No railing doors or barriers will correspond to all trains.
Jennifer is on target. We have been urging walls and doors on subway platforms for years:
6. Drew Kopf says:
July 28, 2017 at 9:23 pm
How much treaure was invested in the new subway stations on the Upper East Side with beautiful art on the walls? Could there not have been some monies dedicated for walls along the platform edges that would have sliding doors that correspond to the subway car doors and open with them? Death by subway train would almost be impossible if we eventually had such wall structures throughout our subway system.
I suggested it earlier this year and last year with some attention paid. But, not enough. The State and the City are duking it out about updating the infrastructure in the subway in NYC. How about getting them both to join forces to stop such needless deaths by subway trains. Let’s just get this done.
Here’s a copy of the last request to do the same. This is New York City. We can surely get it done.
Drew Kopf says:
April 30, 2017 at 11:36 pm
How can we prevent this type of incident in our subways? Here is what I suggested last year in the WSR:
Drew Kopf says:
September 15, 2016 at 11:59 pm
We could build walls along our subway and railroad station platforms with sliding doors located where the doors to the passenger cars are located. It would go a long way to keeping users safer and stop such terrible sadnesses from happening. em
Drew Kopf says:
April 30, 2017 at 11:36 pm
How can we prevent this type of incident in our subways? Here is what I suggested last year in the WSR:
Drew Kopf says:
September 15, 2016 at 11:59 pm
We could build walls along our subway and railroad station platforms with sliding doors located where the doors to the passenger cars are located. It would go a long way to keeping users safer and stop such terrible sadnesses from happening.
Like the railings we have at Times Square at the Shuttle platform.
Huh? No railings at the door locations.
Completely agree about protections around platforms. I saw this in Paris in December. There were “glass” walls that opened when the train pulled in. It was amazing.
Because our transit system is a disgrace due to years of neglect and poor leadership of the MTA
Just stop. Please?
I was the spectator who called 911 and helped them upstairs to meet EMS. It all happened so fast! So glad to hear the baby is okay.
You are to be blessed Erin.
I think there should be a law against father’s pushing strollers… A wheel lock malfunction? Dad forgot to lock the wheel.
Oh come on. Lots of responsible dads do just fine with their kids in strollers, and I’ve seen plenty of inattentive moms.
This story does make me feel better about my degree of paranoia when I was pushing kids in a stroller. I was obsessive about always having one hand on the stroller. One of my friends works for the MTA and warmed me that the platforms are slightly tilted towards the track so water can run off. I was always terrified that this would happen.
So glad the baby is all right.
Sure. Get the law passed and come enforce it on me. I’ll put you in your place.
Even if the dad forgot, this is the most asinine comment here in years.
There should be a law against commenters who don’t know when to appropriately use an apostrophe. I have pity on the man you marry and the children you may have, not because of your grammar, but because of your out-dated sexist attitude.
Ha! Dad forgot to lock it. Does no one here understand sarcasm?
That’s a pretty sexist comment coming from a liberal UWSer.
In St. Petersburg, Russia the subway stations are designed with walls against the tracks. The only time the doors in the walls are open is when a train is up against the wall ! No one can fall or be pushed onto tracks because there are no openings ! New York subway system is a disgrace, not to mention in complete disgusting disrepair !
Must have been installed after what happened to dear Berloiz
I am commenting because of the comment that said “Just Stop”. And that’s the only reason I am commenting! I WILL NOT BE SILENCED!
In these days of such terrible news , I am overjoyed to see a story like this. I wasn’t’ born in the USA , but I was born an American and am still very proud of it. Having lived through the 60’s and 9/11 and Sandy and a few other adventures, I am often quoted when stuff hits the “fan” Please God Almighty send me a NY’er. They will step up in ways that are astounding.
Having been a volunteer EMT and other such things it brings me great joy to see the press cover such stories. So on behalf of some old dude who has only been here since the winter of 1960. I know even these days there are good folks everywhere, but it’s days like this that still make me proud to be a NY’er after all even the most jaded of us wanted this outcome. Thanks to all the heroes. You all deserve a medal. was about two blocks away when it happened. Sometimes even the busted clock (MTA) can get it right by getting it wrong.
One thing that always irritates me is that parents usually point the stroller towards the track, instead of pointing it parallel to the platform. So that if the stroller does roll, it may stay on the platform.
Let’s get real. The expense of installing gates on the platforms would be exhorbitant, especially considering that the “B” Division (lettered lines) use varying types of rolling stock whose doors are not positioned the same way. The many billions of dollars would be better spent getting the system up to an acceptable level of service and infrastructure. You could make the same argument about having railings along every street so that people wouldn’t get killed if they step out into the roadway in the middle of the block. Accidents happen. Fortunately they are rare considering the number of riders every day.