Subway driver hailed a hero after woman survives fall onto tracks

The driver of a Boston subway train that nearly hit a woman who had fallen onto the tracks is being hailed as a hero. The woman was standing on the platform at North Station night when she stumbled and fell onto the tracks.

AFP - Surveillance video released on Monday (November 9) showed a Boston woman falling on to train tracks just as a train was pulling into the station.
 
The woman walked to the edge of the platform and looked at the approaching train, then lost her balance and fell on to the tracks.

People waiting on the platform waved their arms to try to alert the driver to the woman and the driver, Charice Lewis, slammed on the emergency brakes, stopping just in time. 

"The people were waving, but they were waving a little bit too much, and they were really, really close to the yellow line, which they're not supposed to be. So that's obviously telling me, slow your train down, slow your train down. And then as I'm approaching, the lady pops her head up, and I'm like, 'oh my God, someone's in the pit,' so I just threw it into emergency, exactly what I'm supposed to do. And it stopped just in time not to hurt her," Lewis said.

Lewis and another Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) employee were honoured by officials on Monday. 

MBTA transit police said the woman had been drinking.

She was unhurt.

Date created : 2009-11-10