Rider Pulls Emergency Brake on North Jersey Coast Train

Were you on the North Jersey Coast line train #3222 Monday morning? The same train that was abruptly stopped by a passenger who pulled the emergency brake after he dropped his phone on the tracks?

Yes, that really did happen, NJ Transit officials confirmed to Patch. At approximately 8:20 a.m. Monday, Eric Jones of Harlem, N.Y., a customer on North Jersey Coast Line train #3222, allegedly pulled the emergency door release near Secaucus Junction, a Transit spokeswoman said. That resulted in a train crew member stopping the train. Jones then allegedly opened the doors and jumped onto the tracks because he dropped his cell phone in between the cars.

It was a decision that ended up with Jones in handcuffs. New Jersey Transit Police took him into custody Monday at Secaucus Junction, and he was charged with interfering with transportation and defiant trespass.

"NJ TRANSIT condemns this type of reckless behavior in the strongest possible terms," said spokeswoman Lisa Torbic. "Not only does this cause a delay to fellow customers, but this kind of action risks the safety of hundreds of customers, members of the crew as well as Mr. Jones himself. No personal item is worth risking a life over."

"As we saw several months ago when the heroic actions of New Jersey Transit Police Officer Victor Ortiz saved a man from the tracks at Secaucus, railroad tracks are dangerous especially during the height of the morning commute."

The #3222 was scheduled to leave Long Branch at 6:49 a.m. and arrive at Secaucus at 8:11 a.m. Jones' alleged incident resulted in a 15-minute delay "due to an unruly passenger" on all North Jersey Coast, North Northeast Corridor, Raritan Valley and Midtown Direct trains Monday morning.