LOWER EAST SIDE — A homeless man in a subway tunnel between two Lower East Side stations was hit by an M train Thursday morning, officials said.
He was struck by a northbound train between Delancey Street/Essex Street and Broadway-Lafayette Street just before 6 a.m. and suffered injuries that weren't considered life-threatening, an NYPD spokesman said.
He was treated at Bellevue Hospital, an MTA spokeswoman said.
It wasn't immediately clear why the man was in the tunnel, but police didn't suspect any criminality, they said.
Trains along the J and M lines were briefly suspended between Manhattan and Brooklyn but resumed regular service later in the morning, officials said. Riders also reported delays on the Z line.
@_KMcHoff_ Currently there is no M train service b/t Marcy Av and Essex St. Service is not going into Manhattan at this time.
— NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) August 4, 2016
#ServiceAlert: b/d J & M trains service changes and delays, due to an unauthorized person on the tracks at Essex St. https://t.co/vhZQ2kZ2vb
— NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) August 4, 2016
Riders said their commute was very crowded and took twice as long as usual.
"It was really slow. It was barely moving. It would stop in the train station for two minutes instead of 30 seconds. It's annoying," said George Checo, 39, who works at Lower East Side sneaker shop.
"They didn't make an announcement or anything. They have to let people know what's going on," Checo added.
I cannot believe how awful the @MTA is. What used to be a 45 min commute has turned into almost 2 hours. Keep raising fares thoughhhhhh.
— Brittany Lee (@BrittanyLeeBre) August 4, 2016
Can I have a refund it? It took 1 hour and 47 minutes for me to commute to work and it's 10 stops. @mta
— Fig Floozy (@EatWithNia) August 4, 2016
Others saw overcrowded platforms, six or seven rows deep with people.
"It was packed. Everyone was shoulder to shoulder. It took 30 to 40 minutes to get here when it should usually take 20 at most. It was bad," said Kevin Morrison, 23, who was commuting from Williamsburg to his wine shop in the LES.
"It's always frustrating when it comes to the MTA," Morrison added.
