A Philadelphia man was pushed onto the subway tracks and fatally struck by an oncoming train, just days after the city's new mayor vowed to crack down on crime.
The man was arguing with another man on the SEPTA platform around 4:30 p.m. Thursday when tragedy struck at the 34th Street station.
Video footage from bystanders captured the tragic moment when one of the men hit the other, sending him stumbling onto the tracks.
Just moments later, a SEPTA train on the Market Frankford Line reached the platform and ran over the man with a sickening bang, killing him.
The horrific incident was too much for one onlooker, who could be heard screaming everywhere.
A SEPTA spokesperson confirmed that the man seen throwing punches in the video was taken into custody – but it remains unclear whether he will face charges.
A Philadelphia man was pushed onto the subway tracks and fatally struck by an oncoming train, just days after the city's new mayor vowed to crack down on crime
The man was arguing with another man on the SEPTA platform around 4:30 p.m. Thursday when tragedy struck at the 34th Street station
Neither man has been identified, but a user on X claims that both men involved are “known to SEPTA police.”
Retired sergeant. Mark Fusetti said on X: “These two men are known to Septa police.”
“They are homeless and live in the subway.” Septa calls them “aimless riders.”
“They take the EL and the subway all day and all night.” They use the trains as toilets and beds. “This is another crime that could have been prevented if Septa hadn't allowed them to live on her trains.”
This tragic incident occurred as Philadelphia's new mayor, Cherelle Parker, was sworn in, becoming the city's first female leader.
Cherelle Parker, the newly sworn in 100th mayor of Philadelphia, delivers her inaugural address during Tuesday's ceremony
Parker swore in new Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel on Tuesday
Cherelle Parker, a 51-year-old Democrat and longtime city councilwoman, ran on a centrist platform of safety, jobs and city services.
She promised during the campaign to hire 300 more police officers, including municipal officers, and to restore “constitutional” stop-and-frisk traffic. She also put forward the idea of running the school year-round to reduce juvenile crime.
Her plans include increasing the number of police officers on the streets with an emphasis on community policing – a policy she has already championed on the City Council.
“Officers exist as guardians, not warriors, getting to know the people they are charged with protecting and serving,” she said during her inaugural address Tuesday night.
Parker takes over a city where violent crime is declining — homicides are down more than 20 percent from last year, and nonfatal shootings are down 28 percent.
But Philadelphia had a grim reputation in 2020 and 2021 as one of America's most dangerous cities, with over 500 murders per year – significantly more than New York, which is five times larger.
A bustling industrial district until the 1950s, Kensington is now described by the Philadelphia Inquirer as “the poorest neighborhood in the poorest big city in America.”
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And thefts on Philadelphia are increasing rapidly, with the number of reported vehicle thefts up 72 percent. Retail thefts are also increasing rapidly, increasing by 28 percent in the last year.
Parker said her public safety emergency will “quickly bring all available resources to neighborhoods struggling with the scourges of crime, gun violence, drugs and addiction.”
She said her new police commissioner, Kevin Bethel, has been tasked with making plans for these crises and for quality of life crimes such as car theft, shoplifting and illegal use of all-terrain vehicles.