Police: Child hospitalized after falling through emergency transit exit grate at Brooklyn playground

According to police, an 11-year-old entered a prohibited area after the gate was left open.

News 12 Staff

May 19, 2021, 10:47 PM

Updated 1,236 days ago

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Police say a child was hospitalized after falling through an emergency transit exit grate at a Brooklyn playground.
It happened at Rudd Playground around 5 p.m. Wednesday at Aberdeen Street and Bushwick Avenue.
According to police, an 11-year-old entered a prohibited area after the gate was left open.
The child fell several feet.
FDNY crews responded to the scene and took the child to Kings County Hospital with minor injuries.
The MTA confirmed that the incident is under investigation.
"Our thoughts are with the child and his family. We have dispatched a team to investigate what occurred and ensure the site is safe and secure. The safety of New Yorkers is always our top priority," said Andrei Berman of the MTA.
In a statement, the Parks Department said, "The health and safety of this child is on hearts and minds. We are happy to hear that she was safely removed from inside the subway grate that runs through Rudd Playground by good Samaritans."
News 12 is told that the subway grate is typically secured from public access by a safety fence that surrounds the grate on all sides, including above. The fence, which was recently installed when the playground was reconstructed, had been vandalized — fasteners were cut at the post and the fence was peeled back.
The MTA was responding to the scene to address the grate.