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Conductor on NYC subway that dragged man to death may have skipped safety check, source says
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Oct 2, 2026
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Stephen Nessen / Gothamist
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Oct 2, 2026
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The subway conductor on the train that dragged a man to death in Brooklyn earlier this week told MTA investigators he wasn’t sure if he followed proper protocol, saying he was wary of sticking his head out of the train’s window to perform a crucial safety check because he’d previously been assaulted on the job, Gothamist has learned.
MTA conductors are required to do a “sweep” — or look out the cab window in both directions to confirm passengers are completely clear — as a train exits a station.
MTA supervisors interviewed the conductor after the Manhattan-bound A train dragged and killed Yaw Boahene, 57, at the Utica Avenue platform at about 5:48 p.m. Monday, according to a source familiar with the conversation who asked to remain anonymous because they are not allowed to disclose details of the investigation. The conductor also said in the interview he had not been trained on the proper procedure for how to sweep the platform, the source said.
The conductor said he checked video monitors that provide a view of the platform before the train pulled out of the station. He told the supervisors he didn’t see any obstructions on the platform, but wasn’t sure if he kept his head outside his window after the train started moving, the source said.
The conductor’s interview sheds new light on the fatal incident that amounts to a subway rider’s worst nightmare. His remarks also highlight the tension between transit workers’ fear of being assaulted on the job and their responsibility to look out for riders.
Exactly how Boahene was caught and dragged remains unclear. The MTA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident. NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said the victim was carrying a blue plastic bag, using a cane, was “unsteady” on his feet and slow to get off the train.
The conductor said he had no idea the train dragged Boahene until the crew pulled into Jay Street-MetroTech four stops away, the source said.
Subway conductors are required to stick their head out of trian car windows to monitor the platform as they pull out of stations.
Stephen Nessen / Gothamist
Subway conductors are positioned in the middle of trains and responsible for scanning the platform before a train pulls out to ensure there are no people at risk of being hit. As part of the job they are required to look out the window while the train moves 75 feet to monitor the platform.
The conductor, who was hired in March 2024, told investigators he had been assaulted seven months into the job and took a year off, the source said. The MTA did not respond to questions about the conductor’s assault, and the NYPD did not have a record of the incident.
Subway conductors are often the targets of assaults on platforms when they lower their windows to peer out. The MTA reported 82 subway workers, including conductors, were assaulted on the job in 2023, and 46 subway workers were assaulted in 2024.
As a result of the assault, the conductor told investigators that he did not like to stick his head out the window of the train for very long while departing stations, according to the source.
With less than two years of experience, the conductor did not have a regular route, although he was familiar with the A line, according to the source.
The MTA declined to comment on the conductor’s remarks.
“It’s an active investigation,” MTA spokesperson Eugene Resnick said in a statement. “Both the conductor and train operator have been withheld from service pending the results of the investigation.”
Crichlow confirmed during a news conference Wednesday that the doors were working properly on the train that dragged Boahene. Subway car doors are equipped with sensors that prevent the train from moving if they don’t close all the way.
“This is a very, very, very rare instance. The equipment is designed to prevent this from happening,” Crichlow said, referring to the train doors. “The system itself is designed to keep people safe.”
Crichlow said the area of the platform where Boahene exited the train is not covered by cameras, so it’s unclear exactly how he got caught. Boahene’s last known address was a homeless shelter.
Broken concrete and other debris were left on the tracks after Boahene was dragged to his death.
Stephen Nessen / Gothamist
The station does have CCTV cameras on the side of the platform where Boahene died. Those cameras feed three video monitors that give conductors a view down the platform, which is hard to survey because it’s curved. Similar monitors are in place at other stations in the city to help conductors get a better view of curved platforms.
The train that dragged Boahane was made up of the MTA’s newest subway cars, called R211s. Each of the cars is 60 feet long, shorter than the older, 75-foot models the MTA used to purchase. As a result, the conductor’s window on the new train sets does not perfectly align with the video monitors at Utica Avenue. There’s a gap of roughly a foot between the monitors and the cab window, which requires the conductor to turn their head to get a clear view of the screens.
Remnants of the tragic incident were still visible at the Utica Avenue station on Thursday. A thin metal pole at the end of the platform used as a railing for workers was wrapped in yellow caution tape and a section of the platform strip around the pole was ripped out. A mess of crumbled concrete, a black rubber glove, a blue rubber glove and a dirty white sock remained on the tracks below.
Tagged
brooklyn
new york city
public safety
transportation
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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