A man has died after he was dragged down a Metro platform and onto the tracks after his dog’s leash got caught in train doors Wednesday afternoon.
Metro Transit Police said it happened at the Dunn Loring station in Virginia shortly before 1:30 p.m. Police said the man exited the train carrying a dog leash, but the doors closed with the dog still inside the train, leaving the man on the platform with the leash apparently tied to him.
Police said the train operator performed two “safe door checks” before moving the train, which caused the man to be dragged along the platform.
Video appears to show the man was 450 feet away — about the length of a six-car Metro train — from the operator at the time of the incident, police said.
The man was taken to the hospital where he died. News partner NBC4 Washington identified the man as 50-year-old Harold Riley, whose daughters confirmed he was with his service dog at the time.
“Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of the deceased,” police said in the statement.
The dog was taken into police care after Riley’s death.
The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission said in a tweet that an investigation was underway and surveillance footage will be reviewed.
Orange Line service between Vienna and West Falls Church was suspended immediately after the incident but has since been restored.
