Fall Down Subway Stairs During Failed Mugging Leaves 58-Year-Old In Critical Condition

An unidentified man tried to snatch a university student’s bag from him eventually leading to the student and his mother falling down a flight of subway stairs. The fall left 58-year-old Than Than Htwe with devastating injuries. Even after receiving medical attention, the woman has not regained consciousness. Doctors fear that she may never recover from her coma.

On Saturday, July 17 Htwe and her 22-year-old son Kyaw Zaw Hein were at Broadway and Canal Street Q train station in Manhattan when the incident took place. The mother and son were on their way to see the woman’s doctor. At around 9:40 a.m. they were walking up the subway stairs.

Suddenly the mugger grabbed Hein’s bag, trying to pull it off his back. This caused the man to fall back down the stairs. Reactionarily, he grabbed his mother who also fell down with him. While the son did not sustain any serious injury, Htwe struck her head on the ground. She was left with blood pouring from her head as her son frantically called for help, the New York Post reported.

Htwe underwent brain surgery at Bellevue Hospital later the same day. Since her surgery, the woman has remained in a coma. Doctors reportedly told their family that the trauma to the woman’s brain was so severe that she would likely never wake up. Due to her condition, she may suffer organ failure. The woman remains in a critical condition.

Speaking to CBS2, Htwe’s husband Myint Shein, shared that the family had moved to the United States from Myanmar just around three years ago. The devastated husband shared how painful it was to see his loving wife in a coma. The family started a GoFundMe to raise funds for medical expenses.

Since the incident, New York Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou had tweeted that Htwe had passed away. However, she later apologized for the wrong information as the victim’s family confirmed that she was still alive, Pix11 reported.

Police launched an investigation into the incident. They are yet to identify the man responsible for the senseless attack. A surveillance image of the suspect has been shared by the New York Police Department. Members of the public have been urged to share any relevant information to help identify and arrest the suspect.