USA · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Yaw Boahene Killed After Bag Caught in Closing A Train Doors at Utica Avenue
Yaw Boahene, 57, was killed after his bag caught in subway doors at Utica Avenue. Bag snag occurred as doors closed on southbound A train.
Whether sensors explain it or video-based alternate mechanics matter.
10 of 12 outlets skipped it: video shows him still clutching the bag; sources dispute run-over timing.
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Same story, two versions
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The New York Times
“those trains have sensors that will open the door if they detect objects above a certain size.”Read the original ↗
NBC 4 New York
“investigators are also looking into whether the bag was caught around Boahene's wrist and he couldn't break free,”Read the original ↗
NBC 4 New York spotlights video-based alternate scenarios, while The New York Times emphasises door-sensor design.
Bag Caught, Death
Yaw Boahene, 57, died after his bag became caught in the closing doors of an A train at the Utica Avenue station in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn shortly before 6 p.m. Monday.
Police said Boahene was dragged the length of seven train cars before hitting the wall at the end of the station leading into the tunnel, and he ultimately tumbled onto the tracks.
ABC News said officers arrived to find Boahene “unconscious and unresponsive” on the train tracks and pronounced him dead at the scene.
Investigators continued working to determine what happened in the moments leading up to Boahene’s death, and the conductor of the train told the MTA he was looking and did not see anyone being dragged.
Investigation and Removed Duty
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority removed the conductor from duty pending the outcome of an investigation after the conductor told the MTA he was looking and did not see anyone being dragged. CBS News said police do not suspect criminality, but it said what happened before the train moved remained unanswered.
A witness, Gabriel Broadus, told Eyewitness News that people on the platform panicked and that she called police for help, saying, "Conductors are supposed to look out and make sure that people aren't in this situation." The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death, and the investigation is ongoing, according to New York police.
Safety Metrics and Context
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said subway customer accidents increased slightly in 2025 by 2%, and it added that “ridership grew at a greater rate than accidents.” The MTA also said “As a result, the 12-month rate decreased by 4.7%,” while the Monday incident at Utica Avenue remained under investigation.
“The train has been inspected and no mechanical issues were found.”
The Guardian said a 20-year-old man was killed in 2022 after his clothes were caught between the doors of a 1 train at Columbus Circle station in Manhattan during rush hour. ABC7 New York said the train has been inspected and no mechanical issues were found, while investigators continued to determine exactly what happened before the doors closed.