MTA: Reports of Two Lindy Kids Hit by LIRR Train Unfounded

Reports of two kids in North Lindenhurst getting hit by a train earlier on Friday evening aren't true.

That's according to the MTA, which told Lindenhurst Patch tonight that it was actually a crew member on the 4:39 p.m. Eastbound LIRR passenger train out of Long Island City, Queens heading to Babylon train station, then ultimately to Patchogue, who thought he/she saw a couple of kids on the tracks.

This sighting, according to MTA spokesperson Aaron Donovan, took place at 5:48 p.m.

"The crew member called it in, and the train was halted while MTA Police checked to see if anyone was there," he told Patch.

The train was halted just West of the Babylon station in Lindenhurst, and the MTA Police, Donovan said, searched the area of Grand and Railroad Avenues.

"MTA thoroughly checked the tracks and found no one," he said.

The search ended and the train began moving again at 7:07 p.m., continuing on its route, Donovan said.

It was traveling on what the MTA calls the Central Branch, which is a lesser used branch that runs through Lindenhurst, and which is located in between the Main Line and the Montauk Branch, he noted.

The MTA Police investigation caused some cancelations and significant delays of its passenger trains during rush hour on Friday evening, as earlier evidenced on the LIRR Twitter feed (@LIRRScoop).

In addition, Donovan said the 6:30 p.m. Westbound train departing from Patchogue was canceled.

And the 5:09 p.m. Eastbound train from Penn Station to Speonk was held in Hicksville for a half an hour while officials decided the best course of action.

Donovan said the decision was to back track the train through Jamaica down to the South Shore on the Babylon Line.

That train was ultimately 85 minutes late, he said.

The Twitter feed further indicated the 6:17 p.m. train from Jamaica due at Montauk at 9:07 p.m. was 28 minutes late, and the 7:27 p.m. train from Babylon due at Speonk at 8:27 p.m. was also canceled.

As of approximately 8:30 p.m., "Westbound service on the Montauk Branch is now operating on or close to schedule, after an earlier police investigation resulted in delays," the Twitter feed said.