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MBTA workers describe suspense after woman fell in front of train

E-mail|Link|Comments () November 11, 2009 11:08 AM

By Michaela Stanelun, Globe Correspondent

The two MBTA employees credited with saving the life and limbs of a woman who fell into the train pit at North Station last Friday are describing their moments of gut-wrenching doubt when the train stopped – and the relief they felt when they saw the woman was OK.

"When I saw that she had all her limbs, legs, arms, she's not hurt -- I was happy," Charice Lewis, operator of the train, said on CBS-TV's Early Show this morning.

"I expected a bad picture. All I saw was the train go over her body was just like, 'Oh, my God, this is going to be so bad.' And it scared me, and I'm just, like, 'Please, God, just let this woman be OK.' And when she crawled out from under and she gave me a smile, I was, like, 'Oh my God,'" she said.

Both Lewis and inspector Jacqueline Osorio were interviewed by anchor Maggie Rodriguez about their experiences. The train stopped just short of Sophia Hartdegen, 26, of Cambridge who authorities said was intoxicated. Hartdegen said Tuesday she was thankful for the actions of rescuers and "humiliated" by the incident.