Man struck by NJ Transit train — rescue captured on live TV

PATERSON — A man was struck by a NJ Transit train Thursday, and his rescue was featured live on national television.

A Main/Bergen Line train that left Suffern at 9:47 p.m. and was headed for Hoboken hit the man just before 11 p.m., at Van Houten Street near Paterson Rail Station, according to NJ Transit spokeswoman Lisa Torbic.

The incident also gave a rare look at an emergency scene as it was shown on the A&E show "Live Rescue."  Capt. Dexter Paul of the Paterson Fire Dept. told the show  the man was shooting up heroin when he stepped onto the tracks.

The segment also showed the man being placed into an ambulance after his extrication.

Fire and rescue personnel are seen working during the segment outside the train with hosts Ashleigh Banfield, Tom Morris Jr. and Sean “Sticks” Larkin explaining that rescue crews cannot easily get under the train to extricate the man.

"There's no room to work underneath that train. They have to extricate him from that area so they can start working on him," one of the hosts said, with rescue scene being shown.

Torbic said the injured man was taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson, where he was in critical condition as of Friday morning.

None of the 42 passengers and crew on the train were injured and continued their trip via bus.

Torbic said the incident remained under investigation by New Jersey Transit Police.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

More from New Jersey 101.5: