Death on the tracks

Early Saturday morning, at valley stream, two passengers tried to get off a moving eastbound train as it pulled out of valley stream station. The first one made it, the second one was not so lucky and was dragged through the interlocking by the train killing him. service was disrupted for hours.

How were they attempting to get off? Between cars?

From this, it sounds like they got between cars and tried jumping from there.

Thanks for the info, Phil. After reading that, I would have to think these guys were probably drunk or under the influence of something when they attempted to do this. In spite of that, I bet the RR is still going to catch hell over this from Newsday's Editorial Staff, or even worse, wind up at the receiving end of a lawsuit.

Their IQ must be 1000 or something-I still feel sorry for the guy though.

sorry I did not make myself clearer. They tried to get off between the cars as the train was moving. The equipment was M-1's, and from what I have been told they squeezed through the rubber between a married pair. The next 2 days, the friends of the victim were on the tracks placing flowers and candles on the overpass, just east of the station. The police had to be called to remove them from the tracks.

POLICE ID MAN KILLED BY LIRR. Nassau police yesterday identified the man struck and killed by a Long Island Rail Road train in Valley Stream on Saturday. Police identified the man as Michael Garrity Jr., 22, of Valley Stream. He and his friend, both of whom were returning home from Manhattan, decided to get off the train between the Valley Stream and Lynbrook stations when the train had momentarily stopped shortly before 6 a.m. His friend, whom police did not identify, jumped from between train cars just moments before it started to move again, police said. "It wasn't until later on, when Michael wasn't with his other friends at the Lynbrook station, that they went back to the area where he jumped off," Fifth Squad Det. Sgt. John Roden said. "That's where they found him." Garrity apparently fell between the cars, Roden said. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:49 a.m. Roden said Garrity and his friends had been in Manhattan before taking the train home. The train was not scheduled to stop at the Valley Stream station and all the others had planned to get off in Lynbrook. Detectives were still investigating the incident and interviewing Garrity's friends yesterday, but said the death appears to be accidental.

- KEIKO MORRIS

Mindlessness abounds!

Certainly a prime candidate for 2005's "Darwin Awards."

Dave Keller

If a lawsuite does follow the justice should throw it out of court saying any sane indivisual would just get off at the next station or if it were a real emergancy to get of an valley stream then request a stop to the crew, and that might work and every one goes home in one peice instead of a body bag.

this is the 100% example how one rejects lack of common sence will end passing between cars for the persons that have the common sence to request the stop or get of at the next station.
I was on some trains that did not stop at valley stream and i requested a stop so i did not have to wait for the train at jamaica and the crew kindly complied with the request and they keyed me out at valley stream. and yes this was on the platform.

Lord help thoes whom cleaed up the body of Mr. Michael Garrity Jr.

LirrConductor wrote:The next 2 days, the friends of the victim were on the tracks placing flowers and candles on the overpass, just east of the station. The police had to be called to remove them from the tracks.

What happened to the improved security? How could people just walk onto the tracks?!

Lirr168 wrote:

LirrConductor wrote:The next 2 days, the friends of the victim were on the tracks placing flowers and candles on the overpass, just east of the station. The police had to be called to remove them from the tracks.

What happened to the improved security? How could people just walk onto the tracks?!

They obviously weren't carrying cameras.

Well, I guess the friends who were putting flowers on the tracks came from the same gene pool.... Ed