MTA train operator Garrett Goble, devoted dad to two young sons, died the same way that he lived: Doing the right thing.
The heroic transit worker’s body was found on the subway tracks in Harlem after evacuating terrified riders early Friday from a smoky and suspicious subterranean blaze aboard an uptown train. The 36-year-old Goble was discovered on the roadbed in front of the No. 2 train when first responders arrived to the 110th St./Central Park North station about 3:15 a.m.
“He was the best, he really was,” said co-worker Linda Echevarria, a longtime friend. “He was a loving, kind man, and he died helping others. It’s heartbreaking.”
Cops were attempting to determine if an arsonist set the fire in the second car of the train inside the station. A suspect was taken into custody and remained at the 28th Precinct for questioning, a Fire Department source told the Daily News.
The brave transit worker was the only fatality in the bizarre morning incident where a charred shopping cart was found inside the Bronx-bound train. Investigators believe an accelerant in the shopping cart helped the fire spread, but more tests of the evidence are needed to be sure, sources said.
Before his death, the six-year MTA veteran helped steer straphangers to safety before getting lost in the smoke-filled tunnel and collapsing, possibly from a coronary arrest, according to a source.
Smoke was already pouring out of the train car and straphangers were scrambling for air when cops and firefighters arrived. The fire apparently started in the second car of the train once it stopped in the station, the with flames followed by a pair of popping noises, according to transit sources.
“The train car was completely gutted,” a source said.
Goble, 36, was rushed by medics to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Colleagues and a Brooklyn neighbor described the married father of boys ages 10 and seven months a nice guy who always greeted her with a hug.
“All I can tell you is he was beautiful young man,” said Katherine Gray, 73. “I’ve known him all his life. He was a good son, an excellent father and a great husband.”
Gray was not surprised to hear that Goble, who married just two years ago, risked his life to save others.
“If he did, that’s his character,” she said. “He would help anyone he could.”
The MTA quickly posted a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the fatal fire.
At least 16 others were injured in the wild scene: Three men and a woman were also rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital with serious injuries, an additional five firefighters were taken to local hospitals with minor injuries, and at least seven others treated at the scene.
At roughly the same time as the train blaze, several small fires were set in garbage cans on both the platforms and above ground at the 86th St.and 96th St. train stations, said NYPD Deputy Chief Brian McGee of Manhattan North Detectives. Although it was unclear if they were related, the NYPD treated both as crime scenes.
Tony Utano, president of TWU Local 100, which represents MTA employees, called Goble’s death “a terrible tragedy.”
“For this to happen, after we lost two of our union brothers to coronavirus, is hard to comprehend,” said Utano. “Our conductor acted heroically to move passengers to the platform out of danger, and deserves our deepest thanks and support for his bravery.”
Echevarria, 49, met Gobel when both were training for positions with the MTA. She recalled him as a doting dad and and a favorite among his colleagues.
“His spirit was beautiful,” she said. “He was a fun-loving, kind-hearted guy that would give you the shirt off his back. He was an awesome man. I’m going to miss him terribly.”
She was struggling to make sense of her friend’s shocking death: “I was in disbelief. I was really hoping it was all a lie.”
Goble, along with a train conductor and a third MTA employee, managed to steer passengers out of the station as first responders arrived, said Sarah Feinberg, interim president of NYC Transit. After evacuating the first car, Goble exited the train through the front and ended up getting lost in the smoky tunnel, authorities believe.
“They certainly put their lives at risk to get these people out,” said Feinberg. “There was a second train in the tunnel behind this train and the fire department helped evacuate those passengers and crew members through tunnel and through emergency exits. We are devastated by this.”
Pictures seen by the Daily News show blackened, pitted walls and charred seats. The ceiling panels were burned off, leaving electrical wires hanging from above. It remained unclear if the shopping cart was the origin of the blaze, or if it simply burned in the fire.
“Imagine the crime scene down there,” McGee said. “It’s pretty messy right now. We have to go through that meticulously.”
The No. 2 train service was running with drastically reduced service all Thursday as more than 100 train operators, conductors and dispatchers stayed home from work, fearful they would catch coronavirus, sources said.
The conductor who helped evacuate the train has been working for the MTA for 25 years.
“Transit workers are heroes. We are heroes,” Utano said. “Every time there’s a catastrophe, we are one the scene, and we make sure that we do right by the city. So when people do see a transit worker, it’s OK to say thank you and give ’em a thumbs up.”
