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A new theory has emerged over why a young New York City couple appeared not to react as a subway train approached them shortly before they were fatally struck.
Navam Kaul and Malaika Chitre, both 24, were killed at Spring Street station in Manhattan at around 3:15AM on Sunday after ending up on the subway tracks.
Law enforcement sources told the New York Post that investigators are examining whether one or both of them may have been so intoxicated that they failed to fully understand the danger they were facing.
The theory comes after disturbing footage appeared to show the pair sitting calmly on the tracks as a No. 4 train approached. According to sources, Kaul initially fell or otherwise ended up on the tracks, prompting Chitre to descend and attempt to help him.
Chitre was reportedly seen trying to pull Kaul towards her shortly before the train arrived, with the train operator later telling supervisors that Chitre appeared to be laughing as she attempted to move Kaul, according to the sources.
The operator reportedly had insufficient time to stop the train before it struck both 24-year-olds.
The footage of the final moments has since circulated widely online, with viewers left stunned by how seemingly unaware the pair appeared to be of the approaching train.
According to law enforcement sources, investigators are now considering whether intoxication could explain their apparent lack of reaction.
However, there is currently no confirmation that either Kaul or Chitre was intoxicated, and authorities have not established why they remained on the tracks.
While suicide has not been ruled out as a possible motive, investigators have yet to determine exactly how the pair came to be on the tracks or what happened in the moments leading up to the collision.
The deaths happened just over a week after another fatal subway incident claimed the life of MTA worker Moet McCullum.
McCullum, 41, was a mother of three who worked as a construction flagger, a role which involves warning train operators about active work areas.
She was working on the southbound tracks at the 161st Street-Yankee Stadium station at around 11:30PM on September 3 when she was struck by a D train, according to MTA officials.
Her death has added to growing scrutiny surrounding the safety of New York City's subway system following a 2024 report by The City Reporter that found the number of subway passengers struck by trains had risen considerably compared with previous years.
MTA figures cited in the report showed that 241 people were struck by trains during 2023, including 97 fatalities.
Officials did not immediately provide updated figures when asked how many people had been struck and killed by subway trains so far this year.
The NYPD did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while the city's medical examiner also did not provide further information about the deaths of Kaul and Chitre.
For now, investigators are still working to establish exactly what happened at Spring Street in the early hours of Sunday morning, including why the pair remained on the tracks despite an approaching train.
