Stranger Allegedly Pushes 2 Teens Onto Tracks At Dufferin Subway Station

A bizarre and truly frightening incident created chaos on the Bloor-Danforth subway line Friday afternoon and left police shaking their heads about the motive behind an unthinkable crime.

A man is accused of walking up to two teenagers at the Dufferin Station and shoving them onto the tracks at the height of rush hour. It happened on the eastbound platform around 4:30pm.

It’s still not quite clear what happened after the pair went over the edge. Both of the victims are about 14 years of age, and one was actually hit by a train, suffering injuries to his foot. He ended up underneath the heavy vehicle for a time before being extricated. He’s said to be in serious condition at the Hospital for Sick Children (top left.)

His friend is expected to be O.K.

While some were trying to rescue the youths, others were chasing after the suspect after he allegedly made a dramatic bid to get away. A TTC employee held the man for a time, wrestling with the suspect at the bottom of a stairwell as he tried to escape the scene.

At some point, he succeeded and disappeared up the stairs. Several people followed him, staying on the phone with police as they tracked him down the street.

Tom Billings was one of the heroes who kept the suspect in his sights. “He was fighting with a TTC guy and then he got on top of him and was able to escape,” he recalls. “When the TTC guy came up he said to everyone that was around that he had [allegedly] just pushed two kids onto the tracks.

“And when I heard that, me and the TTC guy and a few other people came here and followed him down to the Dufferin Mall. And just followed him until the police were able to respond.”

They’re questioning the man at 14 Division about his possible motives, and have revealed what may be the most disturbing part of the incident. The suspect is a total stranger and the act appears to have been totally random and without provocation. It’s not known what his alleged motive may have been but authorities say the man may have mental health issues. Either way the 47-year-old suspect has been charged with three counts of attempted murder.

The result of the incident was commuter chaos. Dufferin Station was taped off as a crime scene for more than 90 minutes, as trains stopped between Keele and Ossington Stations. The TTC rolled out shuttle buses, but they were quickly jammed with frustrated commuters and tempers flared at the overcrowded Keele terminal. Things gradually returned to normal when full service resume at 6:03pm.  

This is the second serious incident in the subway in less than 24 hours and the third in less than a month. A 29-year-old was stabbed at the Wilson Station on Thursday, forcing shuttle buses into use. His assailant remains at large.

And on January 22 ^nd, a man was shot at the Osgoode Station on Queen St. W. Part of the system was shut down for more than eight hours. A suspect has since surrendered.

It’s also not the first time this kind of frightening scenario has presented itself. Back in May 2008, a man was standing at the College Subway platform just after it opened at 6am, when he was shoved from behind onto the tracks by a person he didn’t know. The suspect fled the scene but fortunately, the victim was able to get back up on the platform before the train arrived.

A suspect police described as a disturbed man with a history of similar attacks, was arrested a month later.

What should you do if you fall onto the tracks?

TTC Statement

The TTC has issued the following statement on the incident.

“This afternoon at approximately 4:50pm, two young people were pushed in front of an oncoming eastbound subway train as it entered Dufferin Station. One youth was able to crawl under the platform  and avoid being struck by the train. The other youth suffered undetermined, non-life-threatening injuries.

A suspect was arrested shortly afterwards, and police continue to investigate this very serious incident.

The TTC’s number one priority is the safety and security of its customers and employees. We are all extremely grateful that these two children were not killed. The TTC has a number of safety features in its subway system, including designated waiting areas, CCTV cameras linked to Collector booths, and tactile yellow strips indicating the edge of the subway platform.

On-board trains, there are passenger assistance alarms (the yellow strips) that should be used whenever someone feels threatened or is being harassed, or witnesses any unsafe or criminal activity. There is also an emergency stop lever on every subway car that can be used in life-threatening situations.

The TTC thanks the Toronto Police Service for their quick response and arrest of a suspect, as well as a station collector who apprehended and held the suspect for police. The TTC also would like to express its deepest concern for its two young passengers and their parents, as they come to terms with today’s incident.”