Yesterday afternoon, a 50-year-old man was fatally struck by an oncoming NJ Transit train at the New Brunswick station. Apparently Frank Farriella had been leaning over the tracks when the Penn Station-bound train hit him just before 5 p.m.
Four other people were injured by "flying body parts". According to the Star-Ledger, a 64-year-old woman had multiple fractured ribs, an 83-year-old man had complaints of back, neck and head injuries, a 27-year-old man had head pain and a fourth person had injuries but declined medical treatment.
A woman who was on the platform right after the fatal collision told WCBS 2, "When I got to the platform and looked down, I could see the trail marks; blood, as if somebody was dragged. And then I saw the cell phone, his hat, his gloves." Also: "Eddie Williams, who was standing at nearby, said he did not know why the man leaned off the platform. 'Really hard to say because he was leaning, and he never really left his feet,' he said."
There were around 300 passengers on the train, and service on the Northeast Corridor line had a brief suspension. NJ Transit said, "NJ Transit would remind customers that for their safety, we continue to ask that they remain behind the yellow line until the train has arrived and the train doors have opened. Additionally, customers are reminded that for their safety, NJ Transit trains can operate on any track, at any time, particularly along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor line where trains often operate at high speeds."
