At 9:30 a.m. at the 125th Street station in Harlem, a blind man and his 10-year-old labrador service dog slipped and fell onto the subway tracks and narrowly escaped injury.
According to eyewitnesses, the blind man who was identified by聽 as Cecil Williams slipped and fell off of the platform with his dog Orlando just as a northbound “A” train quickly approached the station where he lay with his companion.
An MTA employee instructed Williams to remain calm and to lie completely still between the two tracks as the train barreled toward them, . Easier said than done.
The conductor of the arriving train was notified of the fallen man and applied the brakes, but the train came to a complete halt only after one and a half train cars went over Williams and Orlando. Other than disoriented, the man and his dog left the scene sans injury.
Alas, the story does not have a happy ending. Because Orlando is nearing retirement, and Williams’ insurance will not cover a non-working dog, Orlando must go.
“If he had the money,” , “I would definitely keep him.”