By Katy Gagnon
The man, whose name was not released by authorities, was dead before officials arrived on the scene, the Fire Department said.The city medical examiner ruled the death as a suicide.The westbound train was traveling to Penn Station when the incident occurred. Train passengers said they were told there was a “pedestrian accident” and were instructed to exit through the train's first car.”The train just stopped. I thought they were waiting for another train to pass or something,” said John Lydon, who was on his way to school in Manhattan.One visibly disturbed train rider, who declined to give his name, said he was leaving the train when he noticed FDNY officials gathered at one section of the train and saw the man's body.Police, FDNY, LIRR and Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials spent nearly an hour trying to recover the man's body. In the meantime, train passengers and passers-by gathered at the overpass on Bell Boulevard to watch FDNY and MTA track workers inspect the scene.Train passengers were able to use their LIRR tickets to board the Q13 bus to Flushing and take the No. 7 subway, said Susan McGowan, an LIRR spokeswoman.LIRR service was suspended in both directions for 90 minutes and was restored at 1:30 p.m., McGowan said.Although the train was heading west toward Penn Station, the accident occurred on the eastbound track, McGowan said. That track was used for trains traveling in both directions due to track work between the Bayside and Shea Stadium stations Friday afternoon, she said.Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.
