Woman Thrown Onto Subway Tracks During Attack In Philadelphia

Philadelphia transit authorities say that a woman was thrown onto the tracks at a subway station during a violent attack. The 23-year-old female victim has not yet been publicly identified by police.

Officers with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority have reported the attack as having occurred at approximately 3:30 pm on Tuesday. Although the woman survived with minor injuries, the incident led to police arresting a man involved in the assault.

According to The Associated Press, a man approached the female victim while she was standing alone at the subway station platform located in Philadelphia’s Chinatown neighborhood. He asked the woman if she had a light for his cigarette before inexplicably launching into a violent physical assault.

The altercation was captured by surveillance video which indicates that the man continued to move closer to the victim. According to authorities, the attacker then began to assault the woman by beating her, grabbing her ankles, dragging her to the platform landing, and throwing her onto the subway tracks.

The man then proceeded to vacate the scene with the woman’s cellphone. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Police Chief Thomas Nestell confirmed that the victim was able to climb from the tracks to safety. She reportedly suffered only minor bumps and bruises from the assault.

An article by NBC News writes that Nestell spoke of how fortunate the female victim was to survive with only minor abrasions:

“It’s horrifying. And when you see that happen, you think the worst. We all know that there is a tremendous electric source. You touch that, you die.”

Police obtained a description of the assailant which included a very distinct jacket he wore during the attack. The attacker was spotted on Thursday wearing the same jacket, leading an officer with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority to identify and arrest the man.

The man, who police have identified as William Clark, now faces assault and robbery charges. He was found to be in possession of the stolen cellphone at the time of his arrest.

What do you think should happen to Clark if he is found guilty of throwing the woman onto the subway tracks in Philadelphia?