Tragic NYC Subway Deaths: Rutgers Graduates Remembered as Lifelong Friends Just Beginning Their Careers

Malaika Chitre and Navam Kaul were 24-year-old Rutgers University graduates with careers taking shape and years of possibilities ahead of them. On the morning of Sept. 13, however, their lives ended in a devastating subway accident at Manhattan’s Spring Street station.

The longtime friends, who grew up just 11 miles apart in suburban New Jersey, were struck by a southbound No. 4 train at about 3:14 a.m. Police said both were found on the roadbed and pronounced dead at the scene.

What happened in the moments leading up to the crash remains unclear. That uncertainty has left their families, friends and neighbors struggling to understand how two young people described as successful, outgoing and full of promise ended up on the tracks.

A Friendship Rooted in Central New Jersey

Chitre lived in South Brunswick’s Summerfield development, while Kaul grew up in Sayreville’s Colony Club. Their communities shared a strong South Asian presence, and the two eventually became part of the same social circle.

Rajnikant Pipalia, whose son was a friend of Kaul, said the pair had grown up in a similar environment and remained connected through their shared community and college experiences.

“They’re all part of the same friends circle, the same South Asian group hanging out together, enjoying the same festivals,” Pipalia said.

Both graduated from Rutgers in 2024. Local reporting confirms Chitre earned a bachelor’s degree in public health with a minor in business administration, while Kaul graduated from Rutgers Business School with a degree in finance.

Two Young Careers Just Getting Started

Chitre had already begun building a career in the pharmaceutical industry. She worked as a quality operations specialist at Acadia Pharmaceuticals and, in August 2026, began pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Temple University School of Pharmacy.

Her social media accounts portrayed a young woman enjoying time with family and friends. Among the posts were photos with her Bernese Mountain Dog, Swiss, celebrations of the dog’s birthday and a trip to Europe in July that included visits to Florence and Rome.

A neighbor near the Chitre family home remembered her from high school as bright and energetic.

“She used to play with the kids on the block — a bright, smart girl,” the neighbor said.

The neighbor said news of her death was difficult to comprehend, particularly because of the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Chitre’s family declined to comment and criticized media reports about the subway incident.

Kaul, whose parents immigrated to the United States from Nepal roughly 30 years ago, was also establishing himself professionally. His LinkedIn profile listed him as a financial data analyst at Bloomberg. A source familiar with the company told The Post that he had worked there as a contract employee and left the position in May.

A former friend from Sayreville War Memorial High School remembered Kaul as easygoing, funny and charismatic.

“Whenever he was around, it was really good energy,” the friend said.

What Happened on the Subway Tracks?

According to an MTA report cited by multiple outlets, one of the two appeared to have fallen or made his way onto the tracks, after which the other went down to help.

Surveillance footage and videos circulating on social media showed the pair sitting on the tracks shortly before the train arrived. The train operator told supervisors that she saw a man and woman on the tracks and was unable to stop before the train reached them.

Law-enforcement sources told The Post that investigators were examining whether intoxication may have contributed to the tragedy. They were also investigating the possibility of suicide.

No suicide notes were found, but authorities had not ruled out that possibility. The reason the two were on the tracks remained under investigation.

The circumstances have only deepened the shock among those who knew them.

“I was shocked. He was a financial analyst, doing everything right,” said Sagid Qureshi, Kaul’s next-door neighbor in Sayreville.

“From what I understand she was doing well, too – good people doing so well, with their whole lives ahead of them. It’s just so sad.”

A Tragedy That Has Left Friends Searching for Answers

For the people who knew Kaul and Chitre, the circumstances surrounding their deaths are difficult to reconcile with the lives they had built.

Pipalia said there was nothing in Kaul’s life that, from his perspective, suggested he would deliberately put himself in such danger.

The tragedy also comes less than two weeks after another fatal subway incident involving an MTA employee.

On Sept. 3, 41-year-old Moet McCullum, a mother of three and construction flagger, was struck and killed by a southbound D train near the 161st Street-Yankee Stadium station while preparing to set up warning lights for a work crew. The NTSB, MTA and TWU Local 100 were involved in the investigation.

The deaths of Chitre and Kaul have also renewed attention on the dangers of subway tracks. According to figures cited by The City Reporter, MTA officials recorded 241 people struck by trains in 2023, including 97 fatalities.

For the families and friends of the two Rutgers graduates, however, the statistics offer little comfort.

They are left mourning two young people who had only recently completed college, started their professional lives and were beginning to build the futures their loved ones believed were still far ahead of them.