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Baby rescued from SEPTA train tracks

A 14-month-old girl was rescued by her mother and another commuter Wednesday afternoon after the stroller the child was in rolled onto the tracks of SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line at the 56th Street station, transit officials said.

Video grab of baby in stroller that rolled off platform into SEPTA train tracks.  Video shows mother on edge about to jump down.  Notice woman on right hitting the emergency call button before proceeding to give assistance.
Video grab of baby in stroller that rolled off platform into SEPTA train tracks. Video shows mother on edge about to jump down. Notice woman on right hitting the emergency call button before proceeding to give assistance.Read more

A 14-month-old girl was rescued by her mother and another commuter Wednesday afternoon after the stroller the child was in rolled onto the tracks of SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line at the 56th Street station, transit officials said.

The dramatic scene, captured by a SEPTA security camera, took place at 12:46 on the eastbound tracks. The next approaching train was at 60th Street, about four minutes away, officials said.

The child was taken to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where she was being treated for a laceration to the face, said Scott Sauer, a SEPTA safety official.

The four-minute video shows the mother, child, and stroller about five feet from the eastbound tracks. The stroller rolls down along the slightly sloped platform and onto the tracks while the mother is apparently distracted, officials said.

The mother, identified as Teneka Greer, 28, is then seen jumping onto the tracks. A man on the platform joins her. The mother hands the baby to commuters on the platform. The man on the tracks lifts the stroller and what appears to be a diaper bag to others on the track.

As other commuters rush down the platform, a female is seen activating a yellow emergency call box. Sauer said the call alerted security staff and dispatchers at the station.

Sauer said dispatchers then alerted the driver of the eastbound train at 60th Street. The train was halted, Sauer said.

The electrified third rail was between the eastbound and westbound tracks, Sauer said. He said that at some other stations, the third rail is under the edge of the platform. Many third rails are covered to prevent electrocution, Sauer said. "So at this station, it was good fortune in terms of positioning of that third rail, otherwise the baby could have fallen onto the third rail had it been at another station," Sauer said.

He said it would have been difficult for the baby to be electrocuted because of the track configuration at 56th Street. Officials said the incident was being investigated but no one would face criminal charges.

>Inquirer.com

Watch video of the rescue of the baby from SEPTA tracks at

www.inquirer.com/babyEndText