A man died after getting a dog leash stuck in a train door and being dragged down the platform at the Dunn Loring Metro station in Vienna, Virginia.
The victim, identified by family members as 50-year-old Harold Riley, was on the platform and away from the train, but a leash attached to a dog still inside the train appeared to be tied to Riley, Metro said.
Metro Transit Police tried to perform lifesaving measures on the victim, but he was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital.
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Riley leaves behind two children and four grandchildren, according to his family. His daughters told News4 his dog is a service animal, which are the only pets permitted in the Metro system, unless the dog is in a carrier.
Metro said the train operator conducted two safe door checks before moving the train. The operator's cab was about 450 feet away from the incident.
Metro said its investigation is preliminary at this point. It is reviewing surveillance video of the incident, which happened about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
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Metro's watchdog, the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, also is investigating.
Metro said the dog was in police care after Riley's death.
The News4 I-Team tracked down a Metro report from May that said 86 riders were injured in the first nine months of the fiscal year 2022, a decline of 38% from the previous year.
Most riders were hurt by slips, trips or falls, most commonly on escalators, the report said.
