MTA worker Moet McCullum killed by subway train in the Bronx
An overnight transit construction project in the Bronx turned fatal when a subway train struck and killed 11-month MTA veteran Moet McCullum.
An overnight transit construction project in the Bronx turned fatal Thursday night when a subway train struck and killed a worker on the tracks. The incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. At the 161st Street-Yankee Stadium station, where a southbound D train struck Moet McCullum, according to New York City Transit officials. McCullum was working as a construction flagger, a specialized role tasked with signaling oncoming train operators to slow down or stop when approaching active work zones underground.
Transit sources stated that McCullum had been on the job for just 11 months. She was a mother of three, a grandmother, and a twin sister. Family members and colleagues remembered her fondly following the tragedy. Her brother-in-law, Tyrell Thomas, shared his heartbreak after learning of the incident while working a night shift, describing her as the life of the party, funny, and very outgoing.
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Details surrounding the moments leading up to the impact emerged through varying official and internal accounts. An internal report obtained by Gothamist stated that a supervisor working alongside McCullum “felt the wind and heard a train coming around the curve, saw headlights, and the lookout blew the whistle for everyone to clear.” The report noted that McCullum, “froze.” Meanwhile, the train operator informed an MTA official that while they had been warned about flaggers on the track, they had not seen any warning lights, leading them to operate the train at normal speed. Transport Workers Union Local 100 Vice President Chris Drummond maintained that the crew was fully equipped, stating that everyone had their protective gear, flashlights, vests, and lamps.
Transit leaders and union representatives expressed profound grief over the loss. MTA NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow visited the hospital and the scene, meeting with the victim's family.
"This is a difficult day. Last night, we tragically lost a member of our MTA family. The incident is under investigation. This morning, I was at the hospital, at the scene, and I met with her family … I ask that we all keep Ms. McCullum and her family in our thoughts and prayers."
Demetrius Crichlow, MTA NYC Transit President, via Yahoo and NY Post
Transport Workers Union Local 100 President John Chiarello, MTA Chair Lieber, and Crichlow joined forces to address the community's heartbreak. Chiarello noted that geographical arrangements, such as tracks with curves, require additional lights and flaggers to be deployed. The Transport Workers Union Local 100 also emphasized that it was deeply saddened by the death and that its thoughts and prayers are with the family, loved ones, friends, and coworkers.
The National Transportation Safety Board deployed a go-team to examine safety protocols, work logs, equipment, and procedures. In response to the accident, the MTA pulled all construction flaggers off the tracks for 24 hours of mandatory safety retraining.
| Incident Year | Worker Name & Age | Role & Experience | Location | Train Involved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Hilarion Joseph, 57 | Construction flagger, under 1 year | 34th Street-Herald Square station | D train |
| 2024 | Unnamed, 64 | Track worker, 6 years | Downtown Brooklyn | Manhattan-bound F train |
| 2026 | Moet McCullum, 41 | Construction flagger, 11 months | 161st Street-Yankee Stadium station | D train |
The fatality bears a striking resemblance to previous tragedies within the transit network. In 2023, flagger Hilarion Joseph was killed under similar circumstances after working as a flagger for less than a year, also struck by a D train near the 34th Street-Herald Square subway station. Following that incident, the Federal Transit Administration issued directives to the state Public Transportation Safety Board, calling for comprehensive safety procedure overhauls after documenting numerous near-miss events where employees were at risk of being struck by moving trains. In 2024, another incident involved a 64-year-old track worker with six years of experience who was struck by a Manhattan-bound F train in downtown Brooklyn and left with a serious head injury while performing track inspections.
As federal investigators conduct interviews and evaluate track geometry and lighting requirements around curves, the transit community awaits further findings. The NTSB, the Track Safety Task Force, and the TWU Local 100 Safety Team will continue piecing together the exact sequence of events that led to Thursday night's tragedy.
