Woman dies carrying pram down stairs on New York subway
30 January 2019
A 22-year-old mother has died after falling down the stairs at a New York subway station while carrying her one-year-old daughter's pram. Malaysia Goodson was found on the platform of 7th Avenue Station at 53rd Street on Monday evening, police said. Her daughter, Rhylee, was found conscious, strapped in her pram, and was treated at the scene. She was not seriously injured and is with family. The incident has again raised the issue of accessibility on the city's subway. It is not yet clear whether Ms Goodson died from the fall or if she suffered a medical condition, police said. She was pronounced dead at Mt Sinai West hospital and the cause of death is being investigated. She was reportedly born in New York but lived in Stamford, Connecticut. She was a doting parent and an outgoing person, her mother Tamika Goodson told the New York Times. Her brother Dieshe told Connecticut News 12  his sister had been shopping in the city and had "a lot of bags and the baby in the stroller". Commuters informed subway staff that a woman had fallen, and when emergency responders arrived, Ms Goodson was unconscious and unresponsive, police said. "This is an absolutely heartbreaking incident," Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA) spokesman Shams Tarek said. While authorities are investigating the cause, Mr Tarek said, "we know how important it is to improve accessibility in our system." Disabled commuters have long complained about the lack of access to New York's subways. Only 24% of New York's 472 subway stations are ranked as accessible, according to a report by New York City comptroller Scott Stringer - the lowest rate in the country. There is no lift at the 7th Avenue station - there are two escalators that go upwards, but the MTA advises against taking prams or wheelchairs on them. "The subway system is not accessible for everyone, and that's an environment the MTA should not allow," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Twitter. Officials say they plan to add enough lifts to the subway system by 2025 so that no rider would be more than two stops from an accessible station. The $40bn (PS30bn) proposal for the majority of this plan has not yet been funded, the New York Times reports.
She was reportedly born in New York but lived in Stamford, Connecticut. She was a doting parent and an outgoing person, her mother Tamika Goodson told the New York Times. Her brother Dieshe told Connecticut News 12  his sister had been shopping in the city and had "a lot of bags and the baby in the stroller".
7544_0
Who is Malaysia Goodson?
Commuters informed subway staff that a woman had fallen, and when emergency responders arrived, Ms Goodson was unconscious and unresponsive, police said. "This is an absolutely heartbreaking incident," Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA) spokesman Shams Tarek said. While authorities are investigating the cause, Mr Tarek said, "we know how important it is to improve accessibility in our system." Disabled commuters have long complained about the lack of access to New York's subways. Only 24% of New York's 472 subway stations are ranked as accessible, according to a report by New York City comptroller Scott Stringer - the lowest rate in the country. There is no lift at the 7th Avenue station - there are two escalators that go upwards, but the MTA advises against taking prams or wheelchairs on them. "The subway system is not accessible for everyone, and that's an environment the MTA should not allow," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Twitter. Officials say they plan to add enough lifts to the subway system by 2025 so that no rider would be more than two stops from an accessible station. The $40bn (PS30bn) proposal for the majority of this plan has not yet been funded, the New York Times reports.
7544_1
How did this happen?