A Grisly Death and a Smoky, Subterranean Fire Caused a Rough 24 Hours for L Train Commuters

The past 24 hours have been busy for the Metropolitan Transit Authority following two unrelated incidents disrupting service along its L line.

The FDNY confirms that a man was struck and killed after he jumped down onto the tracks at the Halsey L train station at around 5 p.m. on Wednesday October 5 where he was pronounced dead by emergency responders.

Service was majorly disrupted during the busy evening rush hour on Wednesday, and trains were not running at all between Myrtle-Wyckoff and Atlantic Avenues.

The official intercom announcements, even at 7:40 p.m. that evening, cited an unauthorized person on the tracks, and the rumor mill churned as hundreds of people gathered on the platform at Union Square.

At approximately 9:30 a.m. this morning October 6 the FDNY responded to reports of a smoke condition at 1st Avenue and 14th Street where a track fire deep underground within an MTA vault was discovered.

The fire was brought under control within the hour at 10:21 a.m.

One firefighter suffered minor injuries and was treated at Beth Israel Medical Center. Another individual was brought to Woodhull for conditions related to the incident.

The cause of the fire was not specified by the FDNY.

The MTA’s most recent updates for L train service on Thursday afternoon reports service is still suspended between Bedford Avenue and 8th Avenue in both directions due to repairs at Bedford Avenue related to the incident.

Straphangers document their feelings on social media below

Contributing reporters Magdalena Waz and Emilie Ruscoe.