NYC Subway Rider Suffers Fatal Bag Snag

The evening commute at a Brooklyn subway station turned deadly Monday when a rider's bag reportedly snagged in a departing train's doors. Police say the man, identified as 57-year-old Yaw Boahene, was entering or exiting a northbound train at the Utica Avenue station around 5:50pm when his bag became stuck in the doors as the train started to move, per CBS News. He was dragged along the platform, then fell between cars onto the tracks and was fatally struck. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene.

Authorities say they do not suspect any criminal activity in connection with the incident. It follows two similar deaths on New York City's subway in the last decade involving bags or clothing caught in closing doors, most recently in 2022, Gothamist reports. Horrified witnesses took in Monday's scene during rush hour. Police initially said the man's backpack had caught in the doors, but later clarified that it was a shopping bag, per CBS. A pair of sneakers and a deodorant stick were spotted lying near the tracks in the aftermath, per the New York Post.