Subway Death Goes Unnoticed

It seemed like a common situation: a subway rider sitting up with his head down and eyes closed - asleep, as far as the other passengers could tell.

But the man sharing their crowded space on the No. 1 train was dead. He apparently had been dead for up to five hours before other riders realized the truth Monday morning, police said.

It was unclear when or where the unidentified man boarded the train or how long it had been in service. The train made at least 20 stops before passengers noticed something was wrong.

The man, in his 40s, likely died of natural causes, police said. The medical examiner has yet to make an official ruling.

The man, about 5-foot-6 and 170 pounds, wore jeans, a polo shirt and black boots. He carried 20 cents, a watch and a comb, but no identificaton.

The gruesome event took some riders aback, but not entirely by surprise.

"Do you know how many people sleep on the train during morning rush?" said Mario Licari as he waited for his train during the evening rush. "Unless the guy slumps into me, I just leave him alone."

Another rider, Lynda Aguilar, said, "That is so spooky. What a way to go."

The No. 1 train runs from South Ferry, at the lowest tip of Manhattan, to 242nd Street and Van Cortlandt Park, in the Bronx.