A man escaped being crushed into a cartoon-like flatness by a New York subway train by the skin of his teeth, according to a report by the New York Post.

Passengers at the Union Square subway station on Saturday recall hearing sudden screams and seeing 55-year-old Ralph Mercado in the middle of tracks as a train hurdled toward the station.

Onlookers attempted to help the man, but there wasn't enough time.

"I heard screaming. He was reaching out to the people reaching out to help him, but there wasn't enough time to grab him," eyewitness Suzannah Troy told the New York Post.

Thinking quick, Mercado dove underneath the trough between the rail tracks.

"He did like a push up and went down. It rolled right over him," she said. "The train was moving as slow as possible."

Lying on his belly, he watched as the train rolled safely over him. He escaped the ordeal with only a bruised left hand.

Mercado claimed to have acted the hero and jumped on the tracks to save a woman, whom witnesses say they didn't see. According to the New York Post report, Mercado is currently undergoing a psychiatric evaluation.

--------------------------------------------------------

TomoNews is your daily source for top animated news. We've combined animation and video footage with a snarky personality to bring you the biggest and best stories from around the world. Check out our official website: http://us.tomonews.net/

For news that's fun and never boring, visit our channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TomoNewsUS

Subscribe to stay updated on all the top stories:
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=TomoNewsUS

Stay connected with us here:
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TomoNewsUS
Twitter @tomonewsus http://www.twitter.com/TomoNewsUS
Google+ http://gplus.to/TomoNewsUS