Man struck by train at Potomac Yard Metro dies, was being chased

By James Cullum
Published September 30, 2025 at 11:15AM


Police are seen outside Potomac Yard Metro station following an incident that has suspended train service between National Airport and King Street stations. (staff photo by James Cullum)

The man who was struck by a train at the Potomac Yard Metro station on Sept. 22 succumbed to his injuries that evening at George Washington University Hospital, according to the Alexandria Police Department.

Metro Transit Police said at the time that the man trespassed onto the tracks, and an investigation has found that he was being chased by two alleged fare evaders, a 17-year-old female and an 18-year-old female, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.


Suspected fare evaders captured chasing a man, who tried to elude them by jumping onto the tracks of the Potomac Yard Metro station before being struck by a train (via MTPD)

The incident occurred at around 3:15 p.m., after the man walked through the fare gates, and then forced the gates behind him to close so that he would not be followed. The man who was later struck was then chased and followed into a Metro train and back to the platform where the teenagers were both recorded by video surveillance “physically striking the victim,” according to the search warrant affidavit.

“In an apparent attempt to escape his assailants, the victim entered the train tracks,” police said in the search warrant affidavit. “The victim stepped over the electrified third rail of ‘track 1’ and then over the electrified third rail of ‘track 2’ where a train was stopped. The victim then walked toward the front of the train, and as he stepped in front of the train, out of view of the train operator, the train moved forward. The victim was struck by the train.”

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Suspected fare evaders captured chasing a man, who later tried to elude them by jumping onto the tracks of the Potomac Yard Metro station before being struck by a train (via MTPD)

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