Man Pushes Commuter To His Death After An Argument On Dropped Phone

An argument reportedly stemming from an argument between two men over a cellular phone turned fatal, resulting in the death of one man.

Per reports, a 48-year-old man, identified as Heriberto Quintana, was reportedly shoved in front of an incoming Queens subway train and was killed on Monday, Oct. 17.

Quintana was reportedly a devoted husband and a loving father of three – two of them adults and another aged 14 years old.

Quintana was allegedly pushed onto the tracks by another man after he dropped his cell phone onto the tracks at the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Avenue 74th Street station just before 4:45 p.m.

The 50-year-old man, identified as Carlos Garcia, yelled at Quintana to retrieve his phone from the tracks but the refused. Both ended up getting into a scuffle with the Garcia ending up pushing the 48-year-old in front of an incoming Jamaica-bound F train.

“I heard a loud argument, an altercation. It was two Spanish guys — older, like in their 50s,” an unnamed MTA station cleaner at the Jackson Heights station said. “You could hear them yelling on the mezzanine level. Then I heard screams and ran down to the platform.”

The witness also said that both were cursing in Spanish. He added that Quintana was still alive after being run over by the train.

“He was alive when I saw him, breathing and everything,” the station cleaner said.

The 48-year-old man was rushed to the Elmhurst hospital but was later on pronounced dead.

Further, witnesses allegedly tried to hold down Garcia after the incident but managed to escape on another train.

Police were able to apprehend the 50-year-old and place him in custody. Garcia is being charged with manslaughter.

It would be later learned through the wife of the deceased, Hilda Rojas, that Quintana was rushing home to take her to her dialysis treatment, CBS News reported.