The Edmonton senior, pushed out of the Health Sciences / Jubilee LRT platform last Monday, reflects the concerns of other commuters – citing cases of aggression and violence at stations.
Sharda Devi Naidu was pushed to the rails at the LRT station last Monday.
Edmonton police said she was standing on the platform along 114th Street near 83 Avenue waiting for a train when the man “unexpectedly ran out and pushed the woman off the platform of the LRT rails.”
Police described the incident as a “violent, unprovoked attack on a senior.”
Read more: Man charged after “unprovoked attack” on senior at Edmonton LRT station
The 78-year-old woman spoke to Global News on the phone from her hospital bed. She is still recovering from being pushed off the platform and breaking her leg.
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Sharda Devi Naidu, 78, was pushed off the platform of the Health Sciences / Jubilee LRT platform in Edmonton on Monday, April 25, 2022. Delivered to Global News
Naidu told Global News that she knew her leg was broken the minute she landed on the LRT tracks.
“I was screaming for help. Then I saw the train coming. [I was there for a long time]… I thought “I’m done”. But fortunately the train stopped.
Asked if she had seen herself on the LRT again, Naidu said, “I don’t think so.”
Read more: Problem transit: Edmonton’s LRT system disappoints, shocks riders
The senior works as a porter at the University of Alberta Hospital, across the street from the station.
According to the GoFundMe family website, she has worked with Alberta Health Services for 49 years.
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She said she had felt insecure about LRT for some time, especially when she came home from late night shifts.
2:48 Some Edmonton residents express concerns about the impact of the transit system on neighboring neighborhoods Some Edmonton residents express concerns about the impact of the transit system on neighboring neighborhoods
Like many riders, public transport is Naidu’s only way to get to work. A few months ago, in December 2021, she called the Edmonton City Information Line 311 after an alarming incident.
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“I called and said [the operator], it is not safe to take a train. People wander for free and harm other people. We are paying to get on the train and we are in trouble. “
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Naidu said he doubted he would be able to return to work as a porter.
“My life was ruined. It’s just scary. “
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Her family began raising funds to help with medical expenses and home changes.
Read more: Finding solutions: How are Edmonton leaders improving the LRT system?
Police say they arrested a man in connection with the incident on Tuesday night, with the help of transit security officers and transit officers.
On Wednesday, police said the suspect had been arrested following a report of a gun attack on a 53-year-old man at Churchill LRT station.
The attack was filmed on surveillance video, and peacekeepers were able to locate the suspects when they arrived on the subway near the town hall.
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According to the press release, the officers recognized the man and said that he was the same person connected with the attack on Naidu.
1:47 Edmonton man faces charges of unprovoked LRT attack Edmonton man faces charges of unprovoked LRT attack
Kendall Raine, 20, is facing one charge of assault and possession of a weapon in connection with the Churchill LRT incident, as well as one count of aggravated assault in connection with the Jubilee incident.
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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