Former Rutgers Students Identified in NYC Subway Tragedy

Former Rutgers Students Identified in NYC Subway Tragedy

Two 24-year-old New Jersey residents who were fatally struck by a subway train in Manhattan early Sunday have been identified as longtime friends and former Rutgers University students who were just beginning their professional careers.

Malaika Chitre, from the Dayton section of South Brunswick, and Navam Kaul, of Sayreville, were killed shortly after 3 a.m. when they were struck by a train at the Spring Street subway station, according to police and reports from the New York Post.

New York City police said officers arrived at the Spring Street station around 3:14 a.m., where they found a 24-year-old woman and 24-year-old man on the tracks after they had been struck by a subway train. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

The victims were identified as Malaika Chitre and Navam Kaul in several news reports, as well as in a statement issued by a Rutgers University spokesperson.

According to an MTA incident report obtained by the New York Daily News, the train operator spotted two people on the tracks and attempted to bring the train to a stop.

Officials have not disclosed why the two individuals were on the tracks. The NYPD said the investigation remains ongoing.