Oct. 18, 2022 By Michael Dorgan
A South Ozone Park man has been charged with manslaughter after a straphanger he was in a physical altercation with fell onto the tracks and was fatally struck by a train at the 74th Street/Roosevelt Avenue subway station Monday.
Carlos Garcia, 50, was charged with manslaughter just after noon Tuesday following the death of 48-year-old Heriberto Quintana yesterday who tumbled on the tracks during a fight and was then hit by an F train that was entering the station.
Police have yet to determine whether Quintana was pushed or whether he accidentally stumbled onto the tracks during the scuffle.
Garcia, of 133rd Street, was involved in a physical fight with a Quintana on the northbound F-train platform moments before he was struck at around 4:45 p.m., according to police.
The fight started after Quintana accidentally bumped into Garcia, the New York Post reported citing cops and police sources.
Garcia’s cell phone then dropped onto the tracks, and he yelled at Quintana to retrieve it. Quintana refused and the pair got into a scuffle, which resulted in Quintana falling on the tracks.
The New York Post reported that Quintana was pushed. However, the NYPD did not confirm that as of Tuesday afternoon.
Quintana, who was from Jamaica Hills, was removed from under the train with severe trauma to the body. He was then transported by EMS to Elmhurst Hospital where he could not be saved.