Rail junk hits car in Queens
The MTA’s infrastructure issues are raining down in Queens.
A hunk of rusty metal fell from the elevated 7 train tracks along Roosevelt Ave. Wednesday, cracking the windshield of an SUV parked beneath.
A truck struck the elevated tracks near that location the day before and may have caused the piece of metal to break loose, according to Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Shams Tarek.
The incident occurred near 62nd St. — just two blocks away from the spot where a wooden beam nearly impaled a parked Uber driver two weeks ago.
"This is clearly a dangerous situation. It is clearly a tragedy waiting to happen,” said City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Queens). “It was only luck that prevented two people from dying these last couple of weeks."
Van Bramer said that the piece of metal was heavy and jagged enough to kill someone if it hit them on the head. He wants the MTA to install emergency netting beneath the tracks in the area to reduce the risk of death from above.
Estella Galvis, who works in Woodside on the same block where the metal dropped Wednesday, said she’s always hesitant to cross under the 7 train’s elevated tracks.
“The tracks shake. It’s old,” she said in Spanish. “I’m very scared of this. Tell (Mayor) de Blasio to fix this.”
Tarek said a systemwide inspection was completed last week, which was ordered by NYC Transit president Andy Byford after the wooden beam fell off the elevated structure.
“This is obviously very concerning and we’re glad that no one was hurt. We take the safety of our customers, employees and neighbors very seriously,” Tarek said. “What this material is and where it came from is under investigation.”