A PATH Station Escalator Suddenly Reversed Direction This Morning

A crowded escalator in a New Jersey PATH station reversed direction this morning, leading to minor injuries for four people.

The up escalator at Exchange Place stopped, then started going down, picking up speed as people clung to the railing and struggled to stay standing.

A witness described the scene to Gothamist:

Well this morning I’m about 2/3rs of the way up the escalator (and anyone familiar with it knows it is a LONG escalator) - when suddenly the escalator stops and starts moving in reverse. And then it starts picking up speed, until its moving backwards at an incredibly high rate of speed. Faster than I ever thought an escalator could move. Suddenly there are about 20 to 30 people piled up at the bottom of the escalator because people couldn’t get out of the way fast enough. Seeing the pile I was about to be heaped on top of, I made the sudden decision to jump off the escalator on to the adjacent escalator.

Port Authority Spokesman Ron Marsico told NJ.com the four people were taken to the hospital to be treated, and that none of their injuries were serious.

Here's the video: