Two Hudson Valley Men Injured Working On Train Tracks

Two local men were injured early early Thursday morning while working on the tracks in the Croton-Harmon train yard. LoHud reports the men suffered severe burns when they mistakenly made contact with the third rail, which is electrified.

The two MTA workers were taken to Westchester Medical Center with injuries. The 45 year old Pleasant Valley man was treated and released while the 27 year-old remains hospitalized with second and third degree burns. According to an MTA spokesman, the two were conducting routine work on a train just after 2:00 a.m.

Bottom line is, never touch the third rail. According to Wikipedia:

A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track.

There was an urban myth going around about a man who once died while peeing on this infamous third rail. Thank goodness for Mythbusters. They took a look into whether you can, in fact die, by freeing yourself on the track.