Malaysia Goodson with her 1-year old daughter
New York, NY — Malaysia Goodson, a 22-year old mother from Stamford, Connecticut, has died after falling down the stairs at a subway station in Midtown NYC while carrying her 1-year old baby and a stroller. The tragic incident has drawn national attention to the lack of elevators in most subway stations in the city.
Goodson was found unconscious on Monday night in a stairwell of the subway station on Seventh Avenue and 53rd Street, according to police. She was rushed to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Goodson, who was in Manhattan for a shopping trip, was apparently carrying some shopping bags, a stroller as well as her 1-year old daughter in her arms, said Lt. Paul Ng, a spokesman for the New York Police Department.
“When I was on the way to the hospital last night, I was praying that it wasn’t her the whole time,” her brother, Dieshe Goodson, told News 12 Connecticut. “Please don’t be my sister.”
Goodson’s daughter was treated on the scene and is now safe.
Police said there was no foul play and she wasn’t pushed. The medical examiner’s office hasn’t yet confirmed if Goodson had any underlying medical condition that may have caused her to lose her balance. After an inspection, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said that the stairs, railing, and floor at the station are in good condition.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds for her daughter’s education. Support has been overflowing and it has so far raised nearly $8,000.
Meanwhile, numerous groups are calling for additional accessibility for those who use wheelchairs or others who are unable to use stairs in the NYC subway stations. The station where the incident happened has two escalators and no elevator.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy that never should have happened,” Mayor Bill de Blasio wrote on Twitter. “The subway system is not accessible for everyone and that’s an environment the MTA should not allow.”
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