Crime Stoppers

Stranger Breaks Woman's Spine in Subway Shove: Cops

Her attacker is still on the loose

NBC Universal, Inc.

Police are looking for a man who randomly shoved a 35-year-old woman into a train at a Manhattan subway station with no provocation at all, leaving her with severe spinal and other injuries, authorities say.

According to the NYPD, the woman was walking on the southbound platform at the Lexington Avenue/63rd Street station in Manhattan after getting off the train around 6 a.m. Sunday when a stranger approached from behind and pushed her head into an E train, which had been was running on the F line due to planned weekend work and was about to pull out of the station.

It wasn't clear if any words were exchanged, or if the victim even saw her attacker. She was taken to a hospital in critical condition with lacerations to her head, which got slammed into the metal, and a diagnosed spinal fracture among other issues, officials say.

The woman didn't fall on the subway tracks but did fall backward onto the platform, where she endured some of the head injuries. The attacker ran from the scene, heading toward the Second Avenue exit, police say.

They released a surveillance photo of the suspect, said to be wearing a black shirt with white trim and holding what appeared to be a cup of coffee. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.

Contact Us