A man who was hit and killed by a train on Monday at the 116th Street station was identified on Wednesday as Spyros Fliatouros, New York Police Department spokespeople confirmed.
The release of Fliatouros’ name was pending family notification prior to Wednesday afternoon.
After his family was identified, the NYPD detective squad released his name to the public. Fliatouros lived in Brooklyn.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers and police officers said that it was likely a suicide, though the official cause of death is being investigated. Investigators had ruled out any criminal intent in this case—no one pushed the victim onto the tracks.
The incident unfolded at approximately 10:40 a.m. on Monday morning when Fliatouros jumped in front of a downtown 1 train. The train operator braked immediately after Fliatouros jumped, but the victim had already been hit, according to investigator Anthony Braxton of the MTA, who was examining the scene after the 1 train resumed operations.
A New York Police Department detective, who requested anonymity, said the victim was not a Columbia student and that he was born in 1991, according to identification found on the man’s body.
The train operator at the time of the incident, Samuel James III, said that he has been a train operator for 11 years, and that this was his first such experience with a 12-9, the term used to describe a situation involving “a person under a train.”
Just that morning, James said, he and several colleagues had been discussing the day’s a.m. New York newspaper cover story about train operators expressing concern over people who jump in front of trains.
Reflecting on the accident in the immediate aftermath, James called this a particularly heartbreaking situation.
“I am beyond devastated by this turn of events. … Over the past two nights I’ve frequently revisited the young man jumping down on the tracks in front of me just before I entered the station traveling southbound, his face turned away from me,” James said.
In light of the day’s events, James emphasized that those who suffer from depression should immediately seek help. Columbia Counseling and Psychological Services is open from 8 a.m. to at least 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays. An on-call clinician can be reached at all times at 212-854-9797, and Nightline, a separate Barnard-Columbia peer counseling group, is also available at 212-854-7777.
“In my opinion, there is never a situation standing before you that cannot be dealt with, nor troubling puzzle without that solution which brings comfort,” James said. “Though this young suicide victim can no longer be helped, there are many others out there suffering similar anxieties who can use that helping hand which saves lives.”
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