A 19-year-old was killed by an oncoming westbound train Monday afternoon at the Bellmore Train Station, MTA Police said.
According to MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan, the victim has been identified as Wantagh resident Benjamin Sassoon.
At approximately 4:45 p.m., Sassoon jumped onto the tracks in front of a non-passenger train, Donovan said.
It took police approximately 10 minutes to locate the victim after the train was stopped. Sassoon was confirmed dead at the scene.
MTA officials are currently investigating the incident as a possible suicide, but have released no further details at this time.Subscribe
All westbound service on the Babylon line was temporarily suspended yesterday. All service on the Babylon and Montauk lines was delayed approximately 40 minutes.
As of 9 p.m. all service had been restored in both directions.
Sassoon was a 2009 graduate of and this year was attending college at the University of Maryland. Prior to enrolling at Maryland, Sassoon attended nearby Hofstra University.
“The Wantagh Board of Education and administration are extremely sad for the Sassoon family,” said Wantagh Superintendent Dr. Lydia Begley in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.”
Sassoon is survived by his parents Susan and Moshe Sassoon and sister Amy. A funeral service for Sassoon has been scheduled for Thursday, March 31, at in Wantagh starting at 11 a.m. Like Thank Reply
Wantagh Mother of Suicide Victim Organizing Educational Program
Susan Sassoon is helping to plan a teen suicide prevention program at Temple B’nai Torah being presented by the Ahava Machar Chapter of Hadassah.
Andrew Coen,Patch Staff
Posted Fri, Jan 6, 2012 at 5:43 am ET|Updated Sat, Jan 7, 2012 at 1:32 pm ET
Nearly a year since her son committed suicide, Wantagh resident Susan Sassoon is organizing a program aimed at helping to avoid other families from enduring similar tragedies.
Sassoon is organizing a teen suicide prevention program that will be presented by the Ahava Machar Chapter of Hadassah at in Wantagh on Monday evening. Sassoon’s 19-year old son Benjamin, who was a student at University of Maryland, last March when he jumped in front of an oncoming westbound train at the Bellmore Long Island Rail Road station.
Monday’s educational event is co-sponsored by the Temple B’nai Torah Hebrew school and youth group, and is intended for students from middle school through college and their parents. The program will be presented by Dale Camhi, Metro-NY Regional Director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and will feature age-specific DVDs. Topics covered will include teen suicide statistics, myths and facts, warning signs and risk factors, and how to talk to a friend in crisis.
According to the latest data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 36,035 suicide deaths were reported in the U.S. in 2008. These numbers place suicide again among the 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. for the first time since 1998. Nearly one million people make a suicide attempt every year.
Monday’s teen suicide prevention program at Temple B’nai Torah is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. The temple is located on 2900 Jerusalem Ave., Wantagh at the corner of Oakland Avenue next to the Bellmore border.