Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
"A Very Unfortunate Incident": Basket Meant To Catch Subway Debris Hits Pedestrian
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 3, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
MTA
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 3, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A basket intended to catch debris from subway tracks ended up falling from elevated tracks in Brooklyn, and injuring a pedestrian on Sunday.
Frank Jezycki, NYC Transit Interim SVP, called it "a very unfortunate incident" at a Monday press conference about the MTA's Tropical Storm Isaias preparation. Workers had been at the Alabama Avenue J/Z station in East New York, replacing and installing baskets, when the rubber-coated wire basket fell at around 11:45 a.m., hitting a person on the sidewalk. The victim was then taken to the hospital in stable condition.
Jezycki said that it appeared the crew at Alabama Avenue had moved a rubber mat, which protects them from the third rail, and knocked the basket off the tracks.
"We believe there were several procedures and protocols that were in place that were not properly followed," he added. "We're still conducting our investigation, and we will take disciplinary action as we deem necessary."
After numerous 2019 incidents of items falling from elevated subway tracks onto sidewalks and cars, nearly missing people, the MTA embarked on a program to install more protective netting across the subway system. The Daily News reports, "An MTA audit last year identified approximately 2.4 million pieces of equipment that could potentially fall from elevated subway tracks." There are currently about 325,000 of these baskets systemwide.
Tagged
debris
subway
MTA
brooklyn
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Queens man charged with hate crime at Jewish-owned bagel shop displaying Israeli flags
Prosecutors say the 22-year-old damaged property outside the Fresh Meadows shop twice in May.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 6:07 p.m. ET
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
News
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
High-ranking NYC officials to testify in ex-buildings boss Eric Ulrich's corruption trial
By
David Brand
Mamdani launches new team to help NYers keep SNAP, Medicaid benefits
By
Caroline Lewis
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .