Woman critically injured after being pushed into moving subway train in Midtown
NEW YORK - There's a manhunt in Midtown as police search for the man they say pushed a woman off a subway platform into a moving train.
Police have identified the suspect as 39-year old Sabir Jones.
It happened just after noon on the southbound platform of the Fifth Avenue/53rd Street subway stop.
"As the train was pulling out of the station, she was pushed, causing her head to strike the moving train ... The train departed the station and then she fell onto the roadbed, on to the tracks," NYPD Chief of Transit Michael Kemper said. "Fortunately, there were eyewitnesses, and good Samaritans that were on that platform that helped her up back off the roadbed on to the platform."
The 30-year-old victim is in critical condition, having pulled through surgery for head trauma.
Sources say the 30-year old woman is from Queens and was on her way to work. Now, she's at a hospital fighting for her life.
Watch NYPD briefing on subway shove incident
Chopper 2 spotted the injured woman on a stretcher as she was brought out to the ambulance from the station. She was wheeled right past vendor Mohamad El-Sherbiny, who could not help noticing her injury.
"She was moving around a little bit," he said. "I see a lot of blood coming from the head. Isn't easy."
"When young people, ambitious young people, who are just trying to live their lives are subject to random attacks, we can't put up with it," MTA Chair John Lieber said.
Still, the NYPD says overall crime in the subway is down, including the amount of people who have been pushed onto tracks. Fifteen have been pushed so far this year, compared to 22 the same time last year.
"In the past year, we have made tremendous progress on subway crime. Crime is 9% down from where it was before COVID. But that's no consolation to the family of this young woman. That's no consolation at all," Lieber said. "New Yorkers put up with a lot. What they can't put up with is people randomly coming up to them, which appears to be the case here, and attacking them. And I'm not a mental health professional. But I am sure that the people who are have to figure out how to get these people out of the public space and into treatment, so that they get in better condition for themselves and more important for New Yorkers who are just trying to live their lives."
"When things like this happen, we have to double down," he added.
"The mayor has put police in the subway, but you still have emotionally disturbed people roaming the subway system, and the problem is you need more highly trained psychologists, social workers down here helping these poor souls and taking them to a hospital to get the treatment they need," said Charlton D'souza, president of Passengers United.
Watch Dave Carlin's report
The subway station was shut down, forcing riders to find other ways to get around.
"Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. We're late to pick up our kid," parent Sarkis Arakelian said. "They say the trains are not running, so I'm not sure what to do."
"Now we're just sitting and waiting," tourist Caroline Trotter said.
"I'm getting a transfer to the bus," one person said.
"I think it's a shame that the values of the city, in the country... this kind of event happens," Summit, New Jersey, resident Richard Pechter said.
Watch Jennifer Bisram's report
Wednesday night, police remained at the subway station, actively going in and out of trains.
Officials say Jones is known to police and has a prior arrest. They believe he has a mental illness.
"We're gonna fight to make sure that the mental health system and the people responsible for evaluating the condition of these people who are having a disproportionate impact on public space. We feel for them but we need for them to get in treatment and out of the public space," Lieber said.
In the meantime, the search for Jones continues. Anyone who sees him or has information on his whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers.
