Elmont woman killed on LIRR tracks

A 53-year-old Elmont woman was killed last Sunday afternoon in an apparent suicide at the New Hyde Park Long Island Rail Road station.

Salvatore Arena, an LIRR spokesman, told the Herald that the train engineer said he saw the woman walk around the crossing gate and stand facing the oncoming train at 3:25 p.m. Arena also said that a witness corroborated the engineer’s account.

The woman’s body, which had not been positively identified at press time, pending the results of an autopsy and a review of dental records, was found on the westbound tracks, approximately 100 feet west of the at-grade crossing near the intersection of South Sixth Street and Second Avenue. Nassau County police closed the Covert Avenue crossing, and service was suspended in both directions between Mineola and Jamaica until 4:45 p.m., when one track was returned to service. Full service was not restored until approximately 6:30 p.m. The incident caused 30 delays, according to Aerna.

The woman’s vehicle was found in a parking space on Second Avenue, near the crossing.

The Nassau County Police Department had no comment, as is its policy in cases of apparent suicide.