Hempstead woman dies while walking on LIRR tracks
MTA police and Freeport police investigate on Saturday after a woman died on the LIRR tracks. Credit: Jim Staubitser
A Hempstead woman died in a suspected electrocution after walking on the LIRR tracks in Freeport early Saturday and touching the third rail, the MTA said.
The identity of the dead woman was not released. She was 20 years old, Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Aaron Donovan said.
Officials received a report of three females on or near the tracks at Freeport about 6 a.m., Donovan said. The Hempstead woman contacted the third rail and was later pronounced dead at South Nassau Communities Hospital, Donovan said.
No train was involved in the incident, he said.
Authorities with the MTA police and the Long Island Rail Road are investigating why the young woman and others were walking on the tracks, Donovan said.
The incident caused several Babylon Branch trains to be canceled. There were delays on the branch that ranged from 5 minutes to 25 minutes. By 10 a.m., trains were back on schedule, Donovan said.
'I'm going to try to avoid it' A trip to the emergency room in a Long Island hospital now averages nearly 4 hours, data shows. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.
'I'm going to try to avoid it' A trip to the emergency room in a Long Island hospital now averages nearly 4 hours, data shows. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.
