A 57-year-old man died Monday evening at a Brooklyn subway station after the shopping bag he was carrying became caught in the doors of an A train, according to police.
The incident happened shortly before 6 p.m. at the Utica Avenue station in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Authorities identified the man as Yaw Boahene of East Flatbush. Police said he was getting off the northbound train when the bag became trapped as the doors closed.
As the train began moving, Boahene was pulled along the platform and onto the tracks. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene.
New details released Wednesday indicate that investigators believe Boahene was dragged along the platform for several train cars before ultimately being pulled toward the tracks. ABC7 reported that he struck a wall near the end of the station before falling onto the tracks.
Witnesses Tried to Get Help
The incident happened during the evening rush, and at least one teenager who witnessed what was happening tried to alert authorities.
Gabriel Broadus told that she saw the man hanging from the moving train and heard people nearby shouting in an attempt to stop it. She called 911 as the train continued through the station.
The incident left witnesses shaken, with some saying the scene has made them reconsider how safe they feel while using the subway.
Investigation Into What Happened Before the Train Moved
Police have said they do not believe criminality was involved. However, questions remain about what happened between the moment the bag became trapped and the train began moving.
The NYPD initially described the item as a backpack before later correcting that description to a shopping bag.
The MTA has been investigating the circumstances surrounding the death, including how the bag became caught and what happened immediately before the train left the station. The conductor and motorman have been removed from duty while the investigation continues, according to the information provided in the initial report.
The investigation also raises questions about how train crews identify obstructions in doors before a subway train leaves a station. Transit safety procedures and the operation of door systems are expected to be part of the review.
A Previous Subway Death Raised Similar Concerns
The Brooklyn incident is not the first fatal case involving a passenger becoming caught in a subway train door.
In October 2022, a 20-year-old New Jersey man died after clothing or a backpack became caught in the doors of a No. 1 train at Columbus Circle.
The latest death is likely to renew questions from riders about how trains detect objects caught in closing doors and what safeguards are in place before a train begins moving.
For now, authorities have not announced criminal charges in connection with Boahene’s death, and the investigation into the circumstances at Utica Avenue remains ongoing.
