2 Young Friends Killed on Subway Tracks at Spring St. Station

Two young friends were killed by a No. 4 train at the Spring St. station in the wee hours of September 15, the NYPD said.

Navan Kaul and Malaika Chitre, both 24 years-old, were recent attendees of Rutgers University. One of the two had reportedly fallen onto the tracks, leading to the other jumping down to save his friend. Both were then crushed by the oncoming train, cops said.

The tragic event may have been an accident, with no foul play currently suspected by investigators, who are looking into whether alcohol consumption was involved.

No suicide note was found at the scene, although police have yet to definitively rule it out. Disturbing footage of the incident—which showed Kaul and Chitre sitting on the tracks just before they were struck hit by a fast-moving train—circulated on social media not long thereafter. It appeared to be taken by a horrified passenger standing on the other platform, who began yelling in shock.

According to an MTA report obtained by the Daily News, a train operator told supervisors that she had seen Chitre “laughing and pulling [Kaul] toward her when the train came in contact,” with both ending up on the tracks not long thereafter. It is not clear if the two had time to process that a train was arriving before they could get back on the platform.

Four train cars rapidly proceeded into the station before emergency brakes kicked in. The bodies of Citre and Kaul’s were recovered from beneath the third and fourth cars. A total of 100 passengers were reportedly on the train at the time; they were evacuated onto the platform.

Kaul attended the Rutgers Business School between 2020 and 2024, where he received a Bachelor’s degree. He also was an honot student at Sayreville Memorial High, in his hometown of Sayreville, NJ. At the time of his death, Kaul worked as a financial data analyst at Bloomberg, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Chitre received a Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers-New Brunswick School of Arts and Sciences in May 2024, as well, and worked as a Quality Operations Specialist at Acadia Pharmaceuticals. She was working towards a Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Temple University, and lived in South Brunswick, NJ

Both Chitre and Kaul were from Middlesex County, NJ

Fairly similar tragedies have occurred in the neighborhood over the past few years. In January 2024, a 25-year-old abruptly laid down on the tracks and was run over by incoming rush-hour train at the Union Square station, in what police treated as a suicide.

In one grim 11-hour span back in July 2023, three unaffiliated people jumped in front of separate MTA trains in a spate of apparent suicides — two at different Upper East Side stations, with the third at an Upper West Side station. No foul play was suspected.

If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, you can dial 911 or 988 to connect to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Veterans can press “1” after dialing 988 to connect directly to the Veterans Crisis Lifeline. There is also a YouthLine: Text “teen2teen” to #839863, or call 1-877-968-8491.