Electrocuted at the L Train
Reader's Digest US|September 2023
A stranger had fallen onto the train tracks, where deadly jolts of electricity kept anyone from grabbing him
Derek Burnett
Electrocuted at the L Train

IT WAS a sunny afternoon in June of 2022 when Anthony Perry stepped off the train at Chicago's 69th Street station. The 20-year-old, who worked nights in a grocery store, was on his way to see his grandfather so they could go look at a car Perry was thinking about buying.

On the platform, two men were throwing punches. Then the unthinkable happened: The pair tumbled over the edge and onto the tracks. One man ended up on his back, fending off blows. Suddenly, he started bucking and convulsing. The aggressor straddling him leaped backward, bounded back up onto the platform and disappeared.

The man had fallen atop the third rail, the conduit for the 600 volts of electricity that power Chicago's L trains. As Perry and other horrified onlookers watched, he twitched grotesquely as the current surged through his body, his head bouncing up and down off the tracks.

"Help him!" a woman wailed.

Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Reader's Digest US.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Reader's Digest US.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA READER'S DIGEST USSe alt
Do You Kiss Your Dog? - Find out how gross your questionable habits really are, according to health experts
Reader's Digest US

Do You Kiss Your Dog? - Find out how gross your questionable habits really are, according to health experts

I admit it, when it comes to food, I have some eeew-inducing practices, like skimming mold off old cheddar and feeding the rest to my unsuspecting family. We're still alive, so how bad can it be? Because our gross human habits fall somewhere along the spectrum from mildly cringeworthy to full-on repulsive, I reached out to experts to find out where some common behaviors land on the gross-o-meter.

time-read
7 mins  |
September 2024
What's Ailing Our Doctors? - Today's physicians are burned out and battered by spreadsheets. We patients suffer too.
Reader's Digest US

What's Ailing Our Doctors? - Today's physicians are burned out and battered by spreadsheets. We patients suffer too.

Today’s physicians are burned out and battered by spreadsheets. We patients suffer too. America's doctors are in crisis. Six in 10 physicians say they're burned out, with burnout rates for some specialties, such as primary care, reaching 70%. When polled by the American Medical Association, 40% of doctors said they were considering leaving their practices in the next two years. Another study, conducted by health-care industry publisher Elsevier, revealed concerns about mental health and burnout: 63% of med students in the United States reported that they had no intention of practicing clinical medicine after graduation and will instead work as lab researchers or academics. This is despite a predicted shortage of 124,000 physicians over the next 10 years.

time-read
10+ mins  |
September 2024
Now Hear This
Reader's Digest US

Now Hear This

Losing your hearing suddenly, even if there is no pain, is always urgent

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2024
Go for the Gumbo
Reader's Digest US

Go for the Gumbo

The soulful stew synonymous with Louisiana is delicious anywhere you eat it

time-read
2 mins  |
September 2024
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Reader's Digest US

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

Pinned by a giant boulder, a hiker had two choices: panic or gut it out. He did both.

time-read
10+ mins  |
September 2024
Fathers of the Bride
Reader's Digest US

Fathers of the Bride

A young woman finds a unique way to honor the many men who helped her survive her childhood

time-read
8 mins  |
September 2024
MY SMART PET
Reader's Digest US

MY SMART PET

These clever critters are some smart C-O-O-K-I-E-S

time-read
5 mins  |
September 2024
How Hobbies Help Us
Reader's Digest US

How Hobbies Help Us

Far from a waste of time, pastimes are good for body, brain and spirit

time-read
10+ mins  |
September 2024
1+1 = MORE (or LESS)
Reader's Digest US

1+1 = MORE (or LESS)

A math whiz encourages you to play with your numbers

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2024
That Kind of Time
Reader's Digest US

That Kind of Time

A dressing-room encounter made me get real about aging

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2024