Man Seriously Injured After Being Shoved in Front of Oncoming NYC Subway Train, Person in Custody

Mar. 15, 2025

Kamel Hawkins.Photo:LiveNOW from FOX/YouTube

LiveNOW from FOX/YouTube

A 23-year-old man is in custody and facing criminal charges after allegedly shoving a New York City subway rider in front of an oncoming train on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, police say.

The man who was pushed, identified as Joseph Lynskey, 45, of Manhattan, survived, but remains hospitalized with serious injuries, including a fractured skull, four broken ribs and a ruptured spleen,The New York Timesreports.

On Tuesday, just after 1:30 p.m., Lynskey was waiting for the 1 train at the 18th Street station in Chelsea when he was allegedly pushed onto the tracks, the New York Police Department said in a statement.

Lynskey was rushed to a local hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, according to the NYPD.

Chelsea subway station in Manhattan.Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty

Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty

Moments before the train approaches, another man can be seen shoving Lynskey onto the tracks before fleeing.

Less than an hour later, police arrested a suspect: Kamel Hawkins of Brooklyn, who is charged with second-degree attempted murder and four counts of assault, according to online court records.

He appeared in Manhattan criminal court on Wed., Jan. 1 and pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to the online court records. The judge ordered him to be held in jail until his next court date, scheduled for Monday, Jan. 6, according toThe New York Times.

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Lynskey, a DJ performing under the name Joe Usher, miraculously survived the push because the train did not hit him head-on and because he fell next to the train and not underneath it, authorities said,The New York Timesreports.

Lynskey’s friends have set up aGoFundMecampaign to help him defray medical costs.

“Somehow, he miraculously survived, and we are all beyond thankful that he is still a part of our lives,” wrote fellow DJ Jonjon Battles in the solicitation. “In typical Joe fashion, he is in good spirits and looking forward to getting out of the hospital but he has a long road ahead of him.”

According to his website, he was born and raised in Miami and began his career in “90s South Beach and the Design District.”

Police believe the attack was random, ABC 7 reports.

Two months earlier, Hawkins had been charged with harassing a woman and throwing bleach on her, but had been released without bail, theNew York Daily Newsreports.

“Our main priority right now — our sole priority right now — is supporting our brother Joe,” his sister Eileen Parsons said in a phone interview. “We are so grateful that he is alive.”

source: people.com