SAN FRANCISCO—The 31-year-old man who fell and became pinned between a BART car and a platform at San Francisco’s Mission Station has died from his injuries, officials announced on January 6.
The San Francisco Medical Examiners Office has identified the victim as Hayward resident Jeff De La Fuente. Fuente died after suffering critical injuries at the 24th Street Mission Station on January 4. Officials have yet to determine how the victim got trapped between the BART cars.
According to Lt. Jonathan Baxter of the San Francisco Fire Department, De La Fuente was in a semi-conscious state as firefighters rescued him by placing several heavy-duty airbags between the car and the platform to separate the two. The airbags are reportedly capable of bearing up to 20 tons, and provided enough space for De La Fuente to be lifted out.
The rescue attempt took about 20 minutes, and was the first of its kind in the SFFD’s history, Baxter said.
Jim Allison, a spokesman for BART, said there’s an emergency space beneath the platform ledge that’s “designed for if someone falls into the trackway, they could roll out of the way of the train.” De La Fuente was apparently unable to reach the safe haven.
His longtime girlfriend, Dorothy Mak, 31, said that he “fought to be alive” en route to the San Francisco General Hospital, Mak told The Mercury News.
De La Fuente’s family has created a GoFundme page that has currently raised over $4,000 for his funeral costs.
