FOREST HILLS, Queens (PIX11) – A group snuck into an unoccupied subway train in Queens and illegally operated it on Saturday, police said.
The incident happened near the Forest Hills-71st Avenue subway station around 4:45 p.m., according to the NYPD.
The group entered the operator compartments of two unoccupied lead cars and operated a train for a short distance before getting out and fleeing the scene, police said. No one was hurt during the incident.
New York City Transit President Richard Davey said the subway train was being moved in a yard, essentially a storage track. He said the signal system would have prevented the train from getting onto the main line.
“At no time was that train at all in danger of leaving the yard because the signal system would’ve activated the emergency brake. That thing would’ve never left the yard,” Davey said during a news conference Thursday.
Davey added that a tower operator saw the train moving and immediately called 911. “Those kids were on there for minutes, not any longer period of time,” Davey said.
Davey said police are investigating whether the group used a stolen key to access the operator compartments.
“Prior to this incident, we have looked into changing the locks on our conductor cabs and our trains. We have seen an uptick in people trying to illegally sell these keys online. So we’re addressing that,” Davey said. “[The key] could’ve been stolen, I don’t know. The NYPD will find that out for us.”
The NYPD released surveillance video showing the suspects moving around on the train. No arrests have been made.
“We have more cameras in New York City transit than a Las Vegas casino, and we’re adding more. So if you do something bad in our system, we will snap a picture, we will get it to police, and they will find you," Davey said.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for five years. He has been with PIX11 since 2022. See more of his work here.
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