By Della Hasselle
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN — A woman survived the impact of an uptown 2 train after she landed on the tracks at the Times Square Station about 6 p.m. Wednesday, police said.
One witness said that as she lay on the tracks, the unidentified woman reached out for the platform.
"It seemed to me like she was reaching out in desperation, begging for help," witness Justin Bulova said in an e-mail, adding that the train stopped about 10 feet after the impact.
It was not immediately clear Wednesday whether the woman jumped or fell into the tracks at 42nd Street and 7th Avenue before she was hit by the oncoming train, but police said Thursday that they were fairly certain she had jumped.
"She was not pushed or bumped," an NYPD spokesman said. "It appeared that she jumped."
Bulova said that the incident left him so shaken that he canceled his appointment to teach youth hockey on 110th Street.
"It took me a second or two to process what had just happened, but I was completely shocked. I thought she was dead for sure," Bulova said. "I've lived in New York all my life. I have run up and down the platform before. I have recovered a cell phone that fell on the tracks once. After seeing that yesterday, I stand as far away from the tracks as possible."
Others described a chaotic scene with people screaming and said they were thankful that police and rescue workers arrived so quickly.
"Yeah we saw it all we also prayed for her and saw her feet move and knew she was alive - the police and firemen were there in a flash they were brave guys," said commenter Petuniamay.
Harry Green, 62, said he was facing the other direction but heard the screams.
"I was facing the other direction. It happened right behind me. I heard a lot of crying, screaming, women became hysterical. It was godawful," Green said.
"She must have wound up in the cavity between the tracks and that saved her life," he speculated.
The woman was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she remains in critical condition, police said.
