Boy’s Leg Is Severed in Tunnel on N Line

[ColumbiaDeath]

Oops! :eek:

 

Boy’s Leg Is Severed in Tunnel on N Line

By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and ANN FARMER

Published: February 14, 2010

 

A teenager’s leg was severed by a train while he was in a Brooklyn subway tunnel on Saturday night, planning to paint graffiti with two other boys, the authorities said.

 

The boy, 16, was in critical but stable condition Sunday at Lutheran Medical Center, the police said. The authorities did not release his name, but he was identified as Jose Juarez of Sunset Park, Brooklyn, by a cousin, Julio Ochoa, 13, who was with him in the subway tunnel.

 

Julio provided an account of what happened on Saturday night that was largely backed up by the police. Julio, his brother and Jose were walking on the tracks of a northbound N line about 10:10 p.m., planning to paint graffiti, he said.

 

They were about 75 feet north of the platform at the Kings Highway station when the accident occurred, the police said.

 

The teenagers had noticed a train leaving the station and were standing inside recesses normally used by maintenance workers alongside the tracks. It was unclear whether Jose’s leg had been in the path of the train, if his clothing got caught, or if there was some other cause, the police said.

 

“He was in a box by himself,” Julio said, referring to the recess that Jose was standing in. “I knew something was going to happen, I saw my cousin walk to my brother’s box. The train sliced his knee. I saw sparks and him laying there.”

 

According to a law enforcement official who insisted on anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the details of the investigation, Jose was hit by a metal part of the train called the shoe, which connects to the third rail.

 

“He is lucky that all he had was his leg amputated,” the official said. “If he had been touching another piece of metal when he was hit by the shoe, he would have burst into flames because of all the electricity.”

 

It was not clear whether Jose’s leg was severed by the shoe or by the train’s wheels.

 

The train did not stop because the driver did not know anyone had been hit, the official said.

 

Julio said that he yelled to his brother, “Droopy’s dead! Droopy’s dead!” using Jose’s nickname.

 

“He was moaning, ‘Oh, my knee,’ ” Julio said. “We said, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll get you out of here.’ ”

 

Julio said that only a little skin connected the lower part of Jose’s leg with the top; Julio tried to hold it together while his brother struggled to carry Jose on his back.

 

A train passed in the other direction, and the police and rescue workers soon arrived.

 

“He asked the cops, ‘Can I get up and walk?’ ” Julio said. “They said, ‘No, you have no leg.’ ”

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/15/nyregion/15graffiti.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

[LRG]

Unbe-freakin-lievable!. I have no sympathy for this kid, entering forbidden property. His actions cost him a leg, so much for this mope.

 

If you're not allowed in tunnels, DON't go in the tunnels!!! :mad:

[Dan05979]

aaasssshhhoooolllleeeee

[KTrainExp]

It's just another case of doing something your not supposed to and suffering the consequences.

 

The only real causality in this situation is the bloody R160. It would be weird having a bloody train arrive at the next station.

[Joe]

If you're not allowed in tunnels, DON't go in the tunnels!!! :mad:

 

Eh, going in a tunnel isn't dangerous. However, it's an activity that requires a good head on the shoulders. This kid was obviously lacking.

[St Louis Car 09]

Fail.They should know by now after watching beatstreet.

[Dave160]

This reminds me of the time when a kid was pwned by a LIRR train when he was doing graffiti and 2 trains came right next to him and... well I think you could gather the rest. Family even sued the and won.

 

Point is these kids just don't learn.

[C8AvLocal]

I love how they are going to find a way to blame the T/O and C/R for this even though the kid was trespassing and vandalizing property. I especially love the lawsuit that the kid's family will most likely file and possibly win. You know this is why our legal system is corrupted and need to change. The police should have took the suspect to the hospital and immediately arrest him for trespassing and vandalism charges (In which I hope this does come up).

[Joe]

Point is these kids just don't learn.

 

Most graffiti-ists aren't the brightest bulbs on the five light, that's for sure.

[Dave160]

Most graffiti-ists aren't the brightest bulbs on the five light, that's for sure.

 

Hah you could say that again. I don't see what the big thrill is for writing some illegible name on a tunnel wall that almost no one is gonna notice as the train speeds past.

[LRG]

Eh, going in a tunnel isn't dangerous. However, it's an activity that requires a good head on the shoulders. This kid was obviously lacking.

 

Yep, pretty much so.

[B35 via Church]

That's the risk you run when you opt to engage in that type of activity...

 

So....

Good for him.

[LRG]

That's the risk you run when you opt to engage in that foolishness...

 

So....

Good for him.

 

Typical B35

[INDman]

The only tragidly here is that they kid survived and has the posibility to contaminate the restof the population at some point.

[fordhamkid7721]

The only tragidly here is that they kid survived and has the posibility to contaminate the restof the population at some point.

 

A bit harsh IMO but i agree to an extent. What I love is that in some cases graffiti, especially in places where your not supposed to be doing it, is glorified, such as the kid Dave mentioned that got pwned by that LIRR train. "blablablabla he was an artistic child, he had a bright future, etc" bullshit, if he had such a bright future...why the hell was he on the train tracks? buy these kids some damn paper, and put more cops on the beat at night on the subway and maybe this kid would still have 2 legs, and the damn family in the LIRR case sued the and won...your gonna sue someone else for your kid trespassing on their property? what when he jumps on the tracks jamaica is supposed to stop all the trains until he finishes? people these days I swear

[Dre Day]

This is bull shit. Im sorry for using this kind of language but this makes me so mad. When you're wrong, you're wrong. He was trespassing come on, trespassing and the family wants money. You have to take this as a lost. Your kid is older enough to know that you're doing something dangerous and the risk of getting killed, so why sue.

[ciboii22]

Damn . see thats what he gets for trying to follow other people .

[fordhamkid7721]

Exactly, they think this shit is cool. Now I wonder how cool hes gonna be with those crutches, walking around like hes been doing graffiti for like 25 years lol.

[nel070]

Got what he deserved i detest scratchfitti and grafitti. Maybe he will try to do more grafitti and lose the other leg, now the parents going to be on tv telling everyone he is a good never did anything like this and then sue the MTA.

[R110B]

This is his fault and the other kids fault going into Forbiden area of tracks and paying the price for trying to graffiti a tunnel that nobody likes and will get scraped off or just ignored ignorant art. And they don't listen I hope they lose because there is always a sign @ the ends of the platform that says it. He in the wrong. Serves him right for not listening.

[Jashawn R.]

Wow...Just wow...

[fishmech]

Hah you could say that again. I don't see what the big thrill is for writing some illegible name on a tunnel wall that almost no one is gonna notice as the train speeds past.

 

They do graffitti in the tunnels because there's a far lower chance it'll get painted over by either another graffitti artist or by the police etc.

 

One side of the 7th Avenue IRT has a near-continuous "diary" graffitti series that extends from about 23rd street to old South Ferry, minus stations of course, and minus the part of the line that was demolished and rebuilt after the WTC collapsed.

[fordhamkid7721]

Exactly. And those small tunnels on the sea beach are def not the place to do that kind of crap. Only safe way in those tunnels is flagging. People don't know that you gottha stand clear of not just the train but the contact shoes as well. And for the people saying he deserved it etc, yeah to an extent, the kid is just 16, people still don't make the best decisions at that age and may have been presured by his friends. Losing a leg is one of the worst things that can happen to a person.

 

I'm 16 too. I know better than to do something as retarded as graffiti, when I always hear about these kids getting 12-9'd and shit. Besides like Joe said it requires some type of sense, which is why alot of graffiti artists...experienced ones at least seem to have some knowledge of subway operations and what not. I'm sorry he lost a leg but I'm not sorry about the way he lost it. I bet the T/O feels real bad right about now, that's who I really feel sorry for the most..that and the people who had to pick him up and bring him to the hospital.

[Bill from Maspeth]

It should be noted that the incident train did not stop because obviously the crew had no way of knowing and a trip cock was not activated.

 

With that said, here's another case of a crew having to go pee in the cup, visit labor relations, see the TA "doctor" and at minimum be on the platform till the pee sample comes back. All because of some idiot.

[fordhamkid7721]

They do graffitti in the tunnels because there's a far lower chance it'll get painted over by either another graffitti artist or by the police etc.

 

One side of the 7th Avenue IRT has a near-continuous "diary" graffitti series that extends from about 23rd street to old South Ferry, minus stations of course, and minus the part of the line that was demolished and rebuilt after the WTC collapsed.

That and subway tunnels are dark, so it's far less possible they'll get caught..all they do is turn around and flip their hoods up or w/e and they blend in with the darkness of the tunnels when the trains pass by