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Posted: Wednesday, 02 July 2008 4:37PM
LIRR Conductor Saves Rape Victim
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FREEPORT, N.Y. (AP) -- A railroad conductor, summoned by customers who heard screaming, rushed onto electrified tracks as he and others rescued a woman who was being raped, authorities said Wednesday.
As a westbound Long Island Rail Road train was held in the station on Tuesday, assistant conductor Eugene Chino ran to investigate.
He heard someone yelling for help from the track bed, but he couldn't see anyone. So Chino went onto the live tracks, weaving through the electrified third rail, interrupting the attack on a
28-year-old woman, LIRR officials said.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority police, who were already there on another call, responded as well. The suspect, identified as 48-year-old David Thorton, surrendered immediately and was charged with first-degree rape, LIRR officials said.
Thornton was awaiting an arraignment on Wednesday afternoon. The name of his attorney was not immediately available and there was no phone listing at the address provided by the LIRR.
The victim was admitted to Nassau University Medical Center.
Chino said he used his LIRR cell phone to relay information to the train engineer and to the nerve center at Jamaica Station, where supervisors stopped all trains traveling along the route.
The phones were given to more than a thousand conductors and other crew members as part of an effort to keep customers updated on train delays.
``The quick thinking actions of the LIRR crew members and the MTA police resulted in the apprehension of a suspect and helped save the victim from further attack,'' said LIRR President Helena Williams. ``We are very proud and grateful that the crew members came to the assistance of the victim without hesitation and the MTA police were able to make an arrest.''
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