SEPTA passengers are reacting after new video from police shows the fight between two men that led to one of them being pushed onto the train tracks and dying. NBC10’s Aaron Baskerville has more.
A man has been charged with fighting another man who fell onto the tracks at a University City SEPTA station moments before being struck and killed by a train.
Chaz Wearing, 40, is charged with involuntary manslaughter, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office announced Friday.
Wearing, who investigators believe is homeless, is currently on bench warrant status for an unrelated strangulation case in Delaware County, investigators said. Wearing's criminal history also includes cases in Clinton and Lycoming counties, according to the District Attorney's Office.
The incident occurred on the platform for the Market-Frankford line at 34th and Market streets around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, officials said.
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New video sent to NBC10 by a law enforcement source shows Wearing arguing with a 38-year-old man.
Police said the 38-year-old man held onto Wearing while "scolding him, and making threatening gestures." Wearing then broke free of the man's grip and threw two punches at him, police said. Wearing then fell onto the platform while the 38-year-old man fell on the tracks below, according to investigators.
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Seconds later, an incoming SEPTA train struck and killed the 38-year-old man.
"Appeared to be some type of physical altercation. We don't know exactly what took place prior to that to initiate this, but it's being investigated at this point," Philadelphia Police Inspector Kpana Massaquoi told NBC10.
Wearing was taken into custody at the next station stop at 40th Street Station, police said.
The 34th Street Station was shut down for hours Thursday afternoon as well as the area near Drexel's campus.
"It's kind of scary that that kind of thing is happening around here. I thought it was pretty safe but I guess it's pretty out of the ordinary for that to happen," Jacob Davidson, a SEPTA passenger said.
SEPTA officials say that service between 30th and 40th streets was rerouted with buses for riders in both directions.
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