Good Samaritan Who Saved Drunk Filmmaker From Oncoming Train Dies From Injuries

(From left to right: New Dorp station, courtesy David Wong, and Good Samaritan Steven Santiago)

The Good Samaritan who risked his own life to save a drunk filmmaker from an oncoming train at a Staten Island railroad in January has died from his injuries. Steven Santiago, 39, spotted independent filmmaker Jonathan Parisen on the tracks at New Dorp around 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 8. Santiago was able to help Parisen get up to the platform, but he was hit by a train in the head. Parisen tweeted yesterday, "I was just informed that Steven Santiago passed away today. My prayers go out to Steven and his family. God bless."

According to witnesses, Parisen was drunk at the time, and there are conflicting accounts about how he got down there in the first place—he had either gone down to retrieve a fallen shoe, or he took a drunken dive onto the tracks as a lark. Parisen suffered two broken ribs and a spine injury; he was eventually charged with criminal trespass, a misdemeanor.

Santiago, whom family members say was trying to turn his life around after a drug-related prison stint, suffered a serious head injury. Sources told the Post that over the past several weeks, Santiago had recovered enough to move from the hospital to a long-term rehab. But he took a turn for the worse on Friday, and was rushed back to the hospital's emergency room—he died Saturday just before 4 a.m.

"I consider him a hero, like anybody who was in 9/11, everybody who was overseas fighting this war. He's a hero in my eyes," Santiago's older brother, Edwin, told reporters last month.

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By Ben Yakas in News on February 26, 2012 11:55 AM

Comments [rss]

gertah

This is very sad. I hope that those who loved Steven Santiago can eventually take some comfort in knowing that his last actions were, indeed, heroic and representative of the kind of man he was in his heart, regardless of his past mistakes.

Gadea

Steven Santiago is a hero.I am very sorry that he died.
Mr. Parise owes his life to Mr. Steven Santiago.

NYC247

RIP, Mr Santiago, a true hero. This world needs more people like you.

unretrofiedforu

Where would a filmmaker get the money for that? Not like they have a whole 5 hr awards show dedicated to that film making crap.

National Coordinator

That really is sad - but Parisen didn't ask Santiago to do that - so you can't hate him for making that happen. He definitely owes his suriving family something very significant - but it's not like Parisen made the train kill Santiago because he's an evil hateful white man. Parisen was drunk and stupid but he wasn't out to kill anyone, aside from himself perhaps.

hr_bookreviews

A self-absorbed, white guy who works in films. Now that's a shocker.

zombiebob

This is some sad shit

nayerr

I said it before and I'll say it again. Fellow Spanish people that were born and raised in NYC, do not ever help drunken white people, no matter what the circumstance. You will lose in the end.

RIP

Elizabeth Stockwell

Only drunken white people. Go ahead and help a white person who is high, or a drunken asian, or a high asian.

nayerr

I would probably help an Asian.

hr_bookreviews

"Spanish people" come from Spain. This guy was Hispanic, probably of Puerto Rican descent (that's just a guess). Know thyself.

nayerr

Hispanic/Spanish who gives a shit? You know what I meant. I was going to say my fellow spics, but I decided not to.

Unkle_Bob

No... I didn't know what you meant. Spanish and Hispanic are *completely* different things.

nayerr

Oh go fuck yourself you arrogant prick.

Steven Harris

You're just uneducated.

gertah

And racist.

nayerr

Say what you will, you know nothing about me, or my level of education.

Elizabeth Margoshes

We're supposed to say "Latino" now. "Hispanic" refers to what Christopher Columbus called the island of "Hispaniola," and therefore tacitly acknowledges colonialism. There -- I out-pompous'ed both of you.

Ragingsemi

If this doesn't sober him up...

"Tim Osman"

This is why I wouldn't risk anything for some some drunk asshole on the tracks. If you get stupid drunk enough to put yourself at risk then fuck you and fuck you even more if you put others at risk.