New York has had some bizarre accidents and attacks, but a recent incident is causing people to shake their heads in awe. Apparently, a woman rose from a bench in the subway system to shove a man walking by onto the train tracks. The man was of course pinned beneath the train and died.
But without a woman to question, there is only speculation. Was this on purpose? Was this the act of a deranged or mentally ill woman? There are just no answers to explain what happened.
As leaders debate whether this can be traced to policy changes which emptied out psychiatric wards onto the streets, it's clear that something needs to be done to create a barrier between the trains and people on the platforms. According to the Washington Post, there are many individuals who find themselves on train tracks every year due to accidents like losing balance and falling.
Should there be a barrier between the train and the platform?
Millions of people use the New York subway system on a yearly basis without incident. But to the unlucky few who have an accident and fall onto those tracks, a barrier of some sort may be the thing to save their lives. Imagine if there were a rising concrete wall that separated the platform and the tracks below. Small children, elderly, those of us who don't have good balance could all rest a little easier knowing there was something there to catch us and prevent us from hurling over the edge and onto the tracks.
Train deaths are excruciating. Not only do people get pinned beneath tons of metal, they are burned, mangled, and mauled. The stress to the body is immense. If these kinds of accidents are preventable, shouldn't the City at least try?
Accidents are unfortunately an unavoidable fact of life. If you have suffered an accident, you should consult a skilled personal injury attorney to determine whether or not you can collect compensation for your injuries.
