NEW YORK — The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate a Wednesday accident in the New York Subway system that killed a track worker, the agency said in a social media post.
Hiliarian Joseph, 57, was serving as the flagger at a track project near the 34th Street-Herald Square subway station when he was struck by a train about 12:20 a.m. Wednesday, the website Gothamist reports. He was transported to Bellevue Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
New York City Transit President Richard Davey said the MTA was halting all non-essential track work for 24 hours as a result of the accident to “refresh and retrain” MTA employees on track safety. The incident occurred during routine track cleaning.
“We obviously take employee safety seriously and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family,” Davey said at an MTA meeting Wednesday, according to Gothamist. “These are dangerous jobs that we ask our people to do day in and day out.”
Transit Workers Union Local 100 President Richard Davis said in a statement on the union’s website that an investigation into the incident is underway.
“I want to assure my full support to the family and any affected members during this tragic event,” Davis wrote. “Today we grieve the loss of one of our own, and it is crucial that we come together in solidarity.
Joseph had reportedly been with the MTA for 11 months.
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