USA. Man dies dragged by subway after bag gets stuck in the door

Umr. Man died last Monday night after a bag got stuck at the subway door in Brooklyn, New York, United States. The victim was dragged and run over by the vehicle.

57-year-old Yaw Boahene was leaving the subway at 6 p.m. locals at Utica Avenue Station when the shopping bag was stuck at the doors, explained a spokesman for the Police Department, quoted by the New York Times.

After they were triggered, the agents who moved to the scene found the unconscious man near the subway line A rails.

The death was declared at the scene, and the authorities began an investigation.

Demetrius Crichton, president of New York City Transit, a division of the Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA), said in an interview that, through a video, it is possible to see Yaw Boahene staggering, bailing from the cane to enter the subway. 

Later, when he was leaving, Crichton stated that the man seems unstable while carrying a bag.

“ It is a terrible situation, but we will do everything possible to determine if our equipment had anything to do with what happened,” he said.

Note that the subway carriage where Yaw Boahene entered is an R211, the most recent class of the fleet of this public transport. According to Crichton, these wagons have sensors that open the doors if they detect objects of a certain size. 

The New York Times also points out that the metro began service in July 2024, and was recently inspected. 

After Yaw Boahene's death, the transport was again inspected and the door would be operating as expected.