Man Killed After Touching Third Rail At UES Subway Stop: Police

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A man was killed after touching the ultra-dangerous third rail inside the 68th Street - Hunter College subway station Sunday evening, according to police.

At about 5 p.m., police responded to calls of a man walking on the tracks inside the station, officials said.

When police arrived, the still-unknown man somehow made contact with the third rail and was pronounced dead a short time later at the scene by EMS workers, police said.

The man never made contact with any trains, officials added. No further identifying details about the deceased were available as of Monday morning.

Also on Sunday, it was reported that the MTA would be rolling out a long-awaited pilot to test platform barriers and doors inside two Manhattan subway stations, and one in The Bronx, to prevent people from walking — or falling onto — the tracks.

Last year, the city said that the 68th st - Hunter College station was one of the many stations that couldn't accommodate platform barriers — only half of the Upper East Side's subway stations were deemed as able to accommodate a platform barrier.

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