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Homeless Man Fatally Struck by Train at Times Square Station, Officials Say

By  Aidan Gardiner and Wil Cruz | January 22, 2013 10:29am | Updated on January 22, 2013 1:01pm

TIMES SQUARE — A homeless man was struck and killed by a Bronx-bound train at the Times Square - 42nd Street subway station Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The victim was hit by a northbound 2 train at the station about 10 a.m., according to the FDNY and NYPD.

"A lot of people were screaming. A lot of people were asking questions," said Christopher Velez, 22, who was on the platform on his way to visit his father in his hospital.

The man, who police said was between his 30s or 40s, was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

An NYPD spokesman said detectives did not believe a crime was committed and are investigating the incident as a possible suicide.

The incident comes on the heels of two high-profile subway deaths in December.

On Dec. 3, police said Ki-Suck Han, 58, was shoved into the path of an oncoming Q train after getting into a dispute with a homeless man in the 49th Street Station. Three weeks later, a woman allegedly shoved Sunando Sen, 46, into the path of an oncoming 7 train at the 40th Street station in Queens.

Straphangers were still stunned hours after Tuesday's incident.

"I don't feel like taking the subway anymore," Velez said, still visibly rattled.

Velez said the man was standing on the platform — bundled up in blue winter clothes and keeping to himself — for about five minutes when the train pulled in.

"Nobody was around him," Velez said. "He was quiet."

When the train was about 5 feet away from him, the man jumped, Velez said.

"That's when he jumped," he said. "I saw him get hit.

"[The train] screeched to a halt," he added. "Everybody was screaming."

The man has not been identified, police said.

Kevin Ortiz, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's website, said the 2 trains had been running on the 5 line, and 3 trains were going local in both directions from Chambers Street to 149th Street. Normal service was restored a short time later, he added.