Officials: Good Samaritan Struck By Train While Helping Drunken Man Off S.I. Subway Tracks

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A 39-year-old Staten Island man is fighting for his life after being struck by a train early Sunday while attempting to help a drunken man off the tracks.

Officials said around 1:30 a.m. the drunken man lost his shoe and stumbled down onto the Staten Island Railway tracks at the New Dorp station.

1010 WINS' Steve Sandberg reports

Steven Santiago saw the man struggling to climb out and sprung into action, jumping down onto the tracks to help him.

Officials said Santiago moved the man out of the way of an oncoming Tottenville-bound train, but was himself struck.

He is listed in extremely critical condition at Staten Island University Hospital after suffering head trauma and other injuries.

"If the train was going any faster, he would've been dead instantly," Edwin Santiago, the victim's brother, told 1010 WINS' Steve Sandberg. "He's very courageous to put himself in danger by doing what he did."

"I consider him a hero ... New Yorker of the week," Edwin told CBS 2's John Slattery. "His injuries are in the stem of his brain. Swelling, nothing we can do. Waiting game."

The man who had lost his shoe, 40-year-old Jonathan Parisen of East Orange, escaped serious injury. He was treated at Staten Island Hospital and will face charges of criminal trespass and reckless endangerment.

Not only does Edwin Santiago admire his brother's bravery, so do other commuters.

"This man was definitely a hero. We definitely need more people like him in the world," Alan Bernstein said.

"That's really heartfelt. It took a lot of ... that's selfless. That's great," added Martine Rosario.

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