Woman in wheelchair struck by train at Friendship Heights Metro station, authorities say

Officials said the woman’s motorized wheelchair rolled from the platform onto the tracks, where a Shady Grove-bound train was approaching.

In this file photo, commuters leave the Friendship Heights Metro station. (Astrid Riecken for The Washington Post)

A woman was hospitalized in critical condition Sunday after she was hit by a train when her motorized wheelchair rolled onto the tracks at the Friendship Heights Metro station, authorities said.

Fire department spokesman Doug Buchanan said the incident occurred shortly before noon, and authorities had to free the woman underneath the train. Buchanan said it was unknown how the woman fell, adding that she had “once occupied a wheelchair” before authorities pulled her from the track bed about 12:30 p.m.

Metro said in a tweet that video footage showed the wheelchair proceeding from the platform onto the tracks, where the woman was struck by a Red Line train bound for Shady Grove.

#DCBravest transporting patient to nearby hospital - priority 1 (critical) https://t.co/0DH0erNxTu

— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) November 4, 2018

Fire officials said the woman was taken to a hospital, where she was in critical condition.

Metro suspended service while fire officials worked to rescue the woman. A short time later, service was partially restored as trains single-tracked between Van Ness and Friendship Heights stations.