A month after being hit by a GO Train at Long Branch station in Etobicoke, a 46-year-old mother of two remains in hospital.
Manal Srouji considers herself a careful person who routinely uses public transportation to get from home to work. Then, the morning of Sept. 17, her life changed.
Police say at around 8:15 a.m., a woman was struck by a GO Train and transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries. Authorities say the woman had been walking near the edge of the platform when she was hit.
Srouji remains bedridden and says the continued support of her sons and the community has been instrumental in keeping her going.
“I’m overwhelmed, not just by the support that I’m seeing from loved ones, but even members of the community I don’t even know,” she told Global News Thursday. “The response, the reaction from people — it’s just a lot.”
She says she’s been told by her son that her backpack got caught on a passing express train at the station, but few details have been released about what transpired on the platform at Long Branch GO Station.
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A major construction project has been underway at the station since last year, as part of the GO Expansion program.
Srouji says she has no recollection of the day she was struck, but adds she would like to see more safety measures implemented to protect riders.
“September is when everybody comes back,” she said. “More kids to school, a lot of people came back to work in person after that, so there’s a lot more people on the platforms.”
She isn’t alone in voicing concern about crowding on the platform. Several other transit users Global News spoke with last month voiced similar opinions and wanted to see the issue addressed.
“I made friends with passengers that came to visit me that tell me how they hear young kids wondering what happened to that lady that got injured in the accident. You know, I’m thankful, but I’m also concerned.”
She also worries for those who witnessed what happened to her.
With serious injuries to several parts of her body, including her legs and pelvis, Srouji has a lengthy recovery journey ahead of her.
An investigation was launched by Toronto police following the incident. A spokesperson tells Global News no charges have been laid.
“I can’t move. I can’t even sit up in bed,” she explained. “So, I just pray that I have the patience, you know?”
Metrolinx tells Global News an internal investigation is conducted anytime an incident occurs on the rail network, and that process is currently underway.
“Additional safety measures are always put in place during construction. At Long Branch, we have reduced speeds for passing trains, deployed additional staff,” an email statement reads in part.
However, Srouji says she would like to see more solutions beyond staff supervision and safety messaging.
“They’re supposed to be safety measures, but they’re also human. And placing a human to be your safety measure is not always practical when we’re talking about this kind of danger.”
A court and client representative, she is determined to return to her job and her life. In the meantime, a co-worker has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help support her through her recovery.
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