Survivor of Manhattan subway shoving suffers broken skull, 'emotional trauma'

Survival a matter of centimetres as DJ falls next to a moving train but not under it

- Chelsia Rose Marcius, Katherine Rosman and Sean Piccoli

A man who was shoved off a Manhattan subway platform and into the path of a fast-moving train not only survived, but was also able to speak to his family from his hospital bed.

The man, Mr Joseph Lynskey, 45, suffered serious injuries: a ruptured spleen, four broken ribs and a fractured skull, according to court records filed on Jan 1. And then, of course, there is what his sister called the "emotional trauma".

"Our main priority right now - is supporting our brother Joe," his sister Eileen Parsons said. "We are so grateful that he is alive."

His survival was a matter of centimetres. Mr Lynskey was struck by the train but not head-on, according to two law enforcement officials. He also fell next to the train, not under it, apparently saving his life, officials added.

Kamel Hawkins, the person accused of attacking Mr Lynskey on Dec 31, was charged with attempted murder in the second degree and four counts of assault, according to a criminal complaint filed by Manhattan prosecutors.

The 23-year-old was arraigned in the Manhattan criminal court on the morning of Jan 1, a spokesperson for the district attorney said. A judge ordered that Hawkins be held in jail until his next court date on Jan 6.

Mr Lynskey, a DJ who performs under the name Joe Usher, is also the head of content and music programming at Gray V, a company that creates background music and playlists for hotels, restaurants, gyms and retail businesses.

According to his online bio, he was born and raised in Miami, where he began "honing his sound" during the 1990s in the South Beach and Design District areas.