A woman threatened other passengers on a rush-hour Metro-North train headed into Grand Central Terminal on Wednesday morning, upending commutes for hundreds of riders, according to the MTA.
The incident unfolded just before 8:30 a.m. on a train coming in from New Canaan, Connecticut. The MTA Police Department reported that the 33-year-old woman, identified as Hannah Jane Santero, began “experiencing an emotional crisis” as the train approached Midtown and shouted to other riders that “this will be your last day on earth.”
Nigel Sirois, a 22-year-old pharmacy student who commutes into the city daily from New Canaan, said chaos broke out onboard the train. He said he was sitting in the second car from the front when a group of people burst through the rear door, shouting for people to “run” toward the front of the train.
“ My biggest concern at that point was, well, there's a stampede of people. Anyone who's perhaps elderly or otherwise caught off guard could get trampled by them,” he said. “I was shaking a bit, I tend to shake very much when I’m nervous.”
A rider on the train then pulled the emergency cord, bringing the train to a full stop just 100 yards short of the platform, according to police.
About 60 passengers rushed onto the tracks when the train stopped, causing Metro-North Railroad officials to turn off the electric third rail and suspend service to the lower level of Grand Central, the MTAPD said.
MTA police officers responded to the scene and crew members escorted the passengers on the tracks to the platform.
Sirois said the air conditioning on the train shut off, and the main lights went out, too. After more than 20 minutes, Metro-North restored power to the tracks and the train was moved to the platform, where its 650 remaining passengers exited safely.
Santero was arrested and charged with making a terroristic threat and making a threat of mass harm. She was transported to Bellevue Hospital for psychiatric evaluation, MTAPD said. Her attorney information was not immediately available.
Sirois said he was able to make it to school on time, if a bit tired from the whole ordeal. As someone who is training to become a healthcare provider, he said he feels for everyone in the situation.
“ I'm particularly passionate about mental health and disability awareness,” he said. “So I mean, I feel bad that the person had gotten to such a state where they had gotten to that point, but also just everyone being fearful. I guess just empathy for the entire situation.”
Full train service resumed at 8:50 a.m.
This story was updated with information provided by a passenger.
