On Thursday afternoon, officials confirmed at least 24 people were injured in the subway train collision and derailment on the Upper West Side in New York City.
The collision caused major delays to lines Upper West Side 1, 2, and 3 during the afternoon rush hour.
NYC Subway Train Collision
According to the police, a northbound one train with 500 passengers was leaving the 96th Street station when it derailed, disabling another train shortly after 3 pm.
The officials reported that the disabled train was being repaired due to vandalism and was switching lanes on the tracks. Only four MTA workers were on board at the time of the incident.
At least 24 people suffered minor injuries, and seven passengers and one crew member were taken to hospitals due to the derailment. FDNY deputy assistant chief Ian Swords said that no one was seriously injured, and the sustained injuries were consistent with a low-speed train derailment.
Furthermore, at least 20 emergency vehicles were on the scene, including police, fire, and MTA responders. The officials confirmed that the passenger train, which did not completely exit the station, was evacuated via the station platform.
About 300 to 400 additional passengers were evacuated from a train that was not involved but stuck behind the collision after power was shut down, and they exited through the derailing train.
The MTA's president, Rich Davey, stated that there was no evidence that the crash was equipment-related and was investigating any human factors that could have caused the collision. He claimed that the switches and signals were working as intended.
Davey said trains should not be bumping into one another, and they would be investigating the cause of the incident. The MTA reported that service for 1, 2, and 3 trains had been shut down for most of Manhattan as the officials continued investigating the incident.
Passengers Share Traumatic Experience
One passenger shared that the train started shaking, and everyone was scared and screaming. The passenger noted many children were on the train, and everyone started calling 911.
"All of a sudden, we just felt, like, a loud boom. Everybody on the train kind of, like, swayed back and forth crazily, and there was a loud explosion," another passenger said. The passenger added that it was super nerve-wracking.
After the crash, Jaime Levy's "rattled" 15-year-old daughter Tamar was stranded on the second train for more than an hour. Her daughter said they were desperate to get out of the subway and took matters into their own hands.
Another passenger stuck on a train for an hour described similar chaos and said people were getting off the train and running on the rails.
