Malfunctioning A train in Brooklyn Heights causes evacuation, smoke condition

September 8, 2019 Mary Frost

Roughly 200 passengers were evacuated from a trapped A train Sunday morning in Brooklyn Heights. Eagle photo by Mary Frost

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About 200 passengers were evacuated from a stalled Manhattan-bound A train near the High Street station in Brooklyn Heights Sunday morning after a piece of the subway car broke away, striking the third rail. Delays have rippled through the A and C lines, according to transit officials.

Roughly 21 FDNY and EMS emergency units responded to aid in the evacuation, in which trapped passengers were escorted through a second train to the High Street platform, about 150 feet down the tunnel from where the incident occurred. The final straphangers emerged from the station approximately an hour and 45 minutes after the incident was called in at 10:30 a.m., according to first responders.

Transit officials are still investigating, but first responders told the Brooklyn Eagle that a metal piece of the subway car hit the third rail, causing sparks and smoke. Transit reported that the train’s brakes activated.

After the evacuation, passengers streamed out of the Cadman Plaza West station entrance, where FDNY had set up a command center.

“Transit brought in another train right behind them to evacuate, and we assisted evacuating people from the stalled train, through the rescue train behind them, to the platform to the High Street subway station,” FDNY Deputy Chief Russ Regan told the Brooklyn Eagle.

“Approximately 200 people were on the train at the time. We have one reported patient with a minor injury, transported to the hospital,” he said.

Regan added that there was an “issue between the equipment and the third rail. It’s really up to Transit to determine, but there initially was a reported light smoke condition due to the malfunction of the equipment under the train … The main issue here was that we had a stalled train and it was a matter of getting the people evacuated.”

In situations like this, it’s important that people remain calm, Regan said. “If they can, contact the conductor, the personnel on the train if they have any life-threatening or serious issues.”