Person Killed By Train As They Picked Up Dropped Item From Tracks

GREENWICH VILLAGE, MANHATTAN — A person was hit and killed by a train at Astor Place station on Monday afternoon, the MTA said.

A person was hit by a train at the Village subway stop just after 3 p.m., according to an MTA tweet. The transit agency said minutes later that the person had died.

Transit officials later revealed that the person had been trying to "retrieve a dropped item."

"If you ever drop something on the tracks, please tell a Station Agent, or if it's easier, let us know here," the MTA said on Twitter. "Please: never, ever go down to the tracks."

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The incident caused delays on southbound 6 trains and 4 and 5 trains as the MTA turned off third-rail power, officials said. Trains were running normally again around 4:30 p.m.

Astor Place station sits on the border of Greenwich and the East Village on the 4, 5 6 line, though only 6 trains stop at the station.

The fatal incident was at least the second time in just a few days that a person was hit trying to pick something up from the subway tracks.

Late last week, a 50-year-old man was run over by a train in Queens after he jumped down onto the tracks to get his cellphone, according to the Daily News. The man managed to avoid the wheels of the 7 train and is expected to survive, the News reported.

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