It’s become conventional wisdom of late to say that the Big Apple is reverting to the dark, dirty and downright dangerous days of the 1970s and 1980s.
Certainly, New York City has witnessed its fair share of shocking crimes over the last year and a half.
Although not a crime per se, for pure, macabre shock value, an horrific incident this week rivals anything we have seen in America’s largest metropolis for some time.
A man sitting on the tracks of a subway line in the Bronx was decapitated after he was struck by a train on Wednesday.
The victim, who has not been identified, was sitting on the tracks at Castle Hill Avenue subway station when he was hit by a northbound 6 train at around 10.40pm, according to police.
The man’s body remained on the elevated tracks while his head fell down off the tracks and landed on a sidewalk, according to a report in the New York Post.
A spokesperson for the New York Police Department said: “On June 30, 2021, at 2244hrs, police officers responded to Castle Hill Avenue and Westchester Avenue within the confines of the 43rd Precinct.
“Upon arrival, officers were informed that a male was sitting on the roadbed at the south end of the northbound train tracks at the location and was struck by the train.
“EMS responded and pronounced the male deceased on the scene. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death and the investigation is ongoing.”
Castle Hill Avenue is an elevated subway line on the IRT Pelham line of the New York City Subway and is served by the 6 train at all times, apart from in the peak direction on weekdays.
The local station has three tracks and two side platforms and is located at the intersection of Castle Hill and Westchester Avenues in the Bronx borough.