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Burned Teenager Found Dead On Bronx Subway Tracks
By
Scott Heins
Published Nov 15, 2016
Modified Aug 1, 2017
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By
Scott Heins
Published Nov 15, 2016
Modified Aug 1, 2017
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A 17-year-old boy was found dead on the tracks near the Whitlock Avenue 6 train station in the Bronx early Tuesday morning. According to police, the boy's body was found with burn marks to his torso at 2:20 a.m. this morning after a witness called 911. Emergency medical workers declared the boy dead at the scene and a medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
Pix 11 reports that MTA workers were observed walking the tracks at Whitlock Avenue, looking for clues as to what caused the boy's death. His identity has not yet been made public.
The boy's death comes at a time when the MTA is considering new safety measures to stop riders from falling or being pushed onto subway tracks at stations. To date, 44 people have been killed by trains in 2016. According to the Daily News, some transit officials are looking to barriers and other technologies to keep riders safe from danger. The MTA has considered installing sliding doors on subway platforms in the past, but the Authority cautioned in 2012 that implementing such a change would "be both expensive and extremely challenging."
"We’re all still resonating from the murder that was committed on the subway and the suicides that are, seem to be, becoming a regular part of the news,” MTA board member David Jones told the News. “It won’t eliminate all that, but clearly, as my daughter rides the train, I think many parents, young people of all ages, would be reassured with some protective devices, particularly at the overcrowded stations."
The MTA denied a request for comment on the ongoing investigation at Whitlock.
Tagged
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subway death
Scott Heins
Scott Heins is a freelance photo and video journalist based in New York City, and a frequent contributor to Gothamist + WNYC. His work often centers around labor rights, housing, and policing. In 2018-2019 he traveled to four states while covering a wave of public school teachers strikes, with work featured in The New York Times, The Intercept, Getty Images, Splinter, and Bloomberg Photos. Scott is a dues-paying member of the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project.
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