At around 2:40 a.m., the assault victim — a 38-year-old male — was approached by several individuals on the southbound B/D train platform in the Fordham Road subway station in the Bronx, the New York City Police Department said in a statement.
The gang “displayed a knife and began assaulting him” and at some point the assault victim fell onto the subway tracks, according to police. It is unclear if he fell or if he was pushed.
The 36-year-old witness went down to the tracks to help the victim, but was “subsequently struck by the oncoming train, causing his death,” police said.
The train didn’t strike the assault victim, according to police, but he was treated and released by a local hospital for a fractured arm.
Police said the suspected gang left the station in unknown directions, and have released surveillance photos from the scene in an effort to identify anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or any of the alleged assailants.
CNN has reached out to the Metropolitan Transit Authority, which is responsible for public transportation across the city, for comment.
