A man and a woman died after being struck by a Long Island Railroad train that was on its way to Penn Station early Thursday, according to the MTA. Both were 29 years old.
Police said the duo, identified as Leanna Belcher and Booker Favors, both of Queens, were about 200 feet east of the Hollis station platform in Queens when the were struck around 2:45 a.m., the MTA said. The transit agency said they were trespassing.
The train that hit them, which left Ronkonkoma at 1:46 a.m., was scheduled to arrive at Penn Station at 3:05 a.m., but was delayed at Hollis while authorities investigated. The 100 to 200 customers on board were transported to Penn Station on another passenger train.
Surveillance video obtained by NBC 4 New York shows what appears to be a flashlight beaming on the tracks minutes before the MTA says the train hit the man and woman. The video shows police and an ambulance arriving at the scene minutes after they were hit.
There were several delays and cancellations throughout the morning, but trains were running close to schedule ahead of the peak morning commute. The investigation is ongoing.
Ramadhanie Harriraj, who lives in the area, tells NBC 4 New York the deaths were not surprising because "stuff like this happens all the time over here."
In July 2013, two people committed suicide near the Hollis platform, MTA officials said. Authorities say it's not clear why the man and woman killed Thursday were on the tracks. Their identities have not been released.
For Harriraj, the deaths reflect a larger problem.
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"It's something that you got to live with -- kids go up there, they break out my car, they break out my house, they shoot BB gun at my house and there's no decent security out there," he said.
