During the Monday evening commute, a NJ Transit worker apparently opened train doors on the wrong side—causing a passenger to fall into the tracks.
Another passenger Tweeted about the incident:
HOLY SHIT I’m on NJCL 3515 in SEC and they opened the doors on the wrong side of the train. Someone fell onto the tracks. Thank god he wasn’t hurt. Old neck breaker, of course. @NJTRANSIT @CommutingLarry @brian4NY
— Mich (@MissDS17) August 19, 2019
The door were supposed to open on the platform side at the station. A fellow commuter spoke to NBC New York, "confirming what the other rider said and added that the doors quickly closed after the man fell. That commuter says others started yelling to pull the emergency brake, and she ran through three train cars to find a conductor — who was completely unaware of what had happened."
The conductors didn’t know. THAT’S why the emergency break got pulled.
Because it REALLY needed to be pulled.— Mich (@MissDS17) August 19, 2019
NJ Transit confirmed the incident, saying that the passenger suffered minor injuries and declined medical attention. The agency also said that the doors were opened on the wrong side due to "human error."
Someone else Tweeted a photograph of a NJ Transit train car whose doors were open on the wrong side at Penn Station:
Same thing happened today on The 4:07 #3721 out of nypenn opened on opposite side but thankfully no one was next to it #Njtrasit pic.twitter.com/dhgyELsT98
— Grateful Commuter (@GratefulCommut1) August 20, 2019
NJ Transit, which has been known to break commuters' spirits, faced with problems this summer as crew shortages have forced dozens of train cancellations. One rider told the NY Times, "Commuting with N.J. Transit is a disorganized, chaotic nightmare."
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