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TUCKAHOE, N.Y. - A Mount Vernon man 's death on Wednesday at the Crestwood train station has been ruled a suicide. Roosevelt Diggins, 61 of Beekman Avenue, Mount Vernone died after he was struck by a commuter train.
According to MTA spokesperson Marjorie Anders, Diggins was sitting on the train tracks at the Crestwood station when he was struck by an express train at 12:21 pm. The train left the town of Southeast at 11:13 am and was due in to Grand Central Station at 12:38 pm.
Anders said the train came to an emergency stop and passengers were helped off the train. There were several minor delays while trains were switched over to differenct tracks to accommodate the investigation.
Debra Barsha, of Katonah, was on her way to work as a member of the orchestra for the play "Jersey Boys" and was seated in the first car when she heard and felt a sickening thump.
"We were told we were stopping due to a switching problem, but everyone in the front car knew we had hit something. We heard it and we could feel it," she said.
Passengers stayed on the train for approximately 15 minutes until they were advised they would be switching trains.
"We saw the conductor leave the train and he was very visibly shaken up, and in shock," Barsha said."
Members of the Tuckahoe Police Department, the Eastchester Police Department, the Eastchester Fire Department and the Eastchester Volunteer Ambulance Corps were on hand to assist.
Anders said that that later that day Cheryl Waite, 38 of Beacon was also struck by a passenger train near the Beacon station.
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