Manhattan – Two 24-year-old former Rutgers University students were killed early Sunday after being struck by a southbound No. 4 train at the Spring Street subway station in Lower Manhattan, according to authorities.
The victims were identified as Malaika Chitre, of Dayton, New Jersey, and Navam Kaul, of Sayreville, New Jersey. Both were pronounced dead at the scene following the incident, which occurred at approximately 3:15 a.m.
According to an MTA report, the pair were on the subway roadbed when the train entered the station. The train operator reported seeing a man and woman sitting on the tracks and applied the emergency brakes, but the train could not stop in time.
Approximately 100 passengers were safely evacuated onto the platform after the collision.
The circumstances that brought the two onto the tracks remain under investigation. The MTA report indicates investigators have not established whether one person entered the track area first or whether both did so intentionally. Investigators are also examining whether one victim may have entered the tracks while attempting to help the other.
Reports citing police sources say investigators are examining possible drug or alcohol impairment and whether suicide could have been a factor. No official finding has established either explanation, and no suicide note was reportedly found.
Chitre and Kaul were connected to Rutgers University and were described by people who knew them as longtime friends. Chitre graduated from Rutgers with a public health degree and worked in the pharmaceutical industry. Kaul, a Nepali-American, worked as a financial data analyst at Bloomberg.
Rutgers expressed condolences following the deaths, describing the loss as deeply saddening.
The incident has also renewed attention on the dangers surrounding New York City’s subway tracks. The NYPD investigation remains active, and additional information about the circumstances of the deaths may be released as authorities continue reviewing evidence and witness accounts.