Two Friends Killed by NYC Subway Train After Being Seen on Tracks

Two 24-year-old friends from New Jersey were killed by a subway train in Manhattan early Sunday after being seen sitting on the tracks, according to police. The victims were identified as Malaika Chitre and Navam Kaul, both recent Rutgers University graduates who had been close friends since their undergraduate years. The incident occurred at approximately 3:14 a.m. on September 13, 2026, at the Spring Street station. A southbound No. 4 train struck the pair as they sat on the roadbed. The train operator applied the emergency brakes but could not stop in time, authorities said. Both individuals were pronounced dead at the scene. A bystander video recorded shortly before the incident shows Chitre and Kaul sitting together on the tracks. The footage does not show what led them to be on the tracks. About 100 passengers on the train were safely evacuated to the platform following the collision. Police sources indicate investigators are examining whether either individual was impaired by alcohol or drugs, which may have prevented them from recognizing the danger.