Horror as New York subway passenger pushed in front of train in 'random' attack
1 January 2025, 09:48 | Updated: 1 January 2025, 09:55
A passenger on the subway in New York was thrown in front of a train in a seemingly random attack on Tuesday.
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A 23-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder and assault after the attack, which took place in Manhattan.
Footage from the scene shows a man walking up behind the victim and pushing him as a train arrives on the platform.
The victim, 45, miraculously survived the attack and was taken to hospital with a head injury and broken rib.
He was not hit by the train as it went past but struck the rails as he fell.
Suspect Kamel Hawkins had had previous run-ins with the police, including assaulting an officer, according to the New York Post.
A mentally disturbed person abruptly shoved a New Yorker into the path of an incoming train, causing him to be in critical condition.
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) December 31, 2024
The State of New York must grant the Mayor the authority he needs to relocate dangerous people from the streets and subways of New York. The… pic.twitter.com/7PnR3irLbo
It comes after a woman died after being set on fire on the subway earlier in December.
A passenger who was on a train when Tuesday's shoving attack took place said she found the assault "chilling".
Describing the scene, Violey Paley said: "All of a sudden there was an abrupt stop and because of everything I’ve been seeing on the news, the first thing that came to my mind was that someone probably got pushed in front of the subway, which is such a dark thought".
She told CNN that emergency services workers rushed to the scene.
“They pulled him out, and he was laying there, and I saw his hands and fingers move," Ms Paley said.
"I was in so much shock that he was alive. It was unbelievable."
The motive for the attack is unclear.
It comes after another seemingly random attack, when a woman was set on fire on the subway in Brooklyn on December 22.
The victim was 57-year-old Debrina Kawan from New Jersey.
Sebastian Zapeta, 33, a Guatemalan citizen who entered the US illegally, has been charged with her murder.
