Good Samaritan dies after heroic actions

NEW YORK

Now, his family has one request from the man whose life he saved.

"It's destroying us right now but all we want is for Jonathan to come out and say thank you to Steven, he's a hero, he saved your life," relative Belinda Martinez said.

It is salt in a very fresh would, something Belinda Martinez and her family say they can't get over, the fact that Jonathan Parisen hasn't called or met with them face to face.

"Everybody deals with things in their own way. Maybe he's afraid, now Steven's not here, he should come forward, maybe he feels guilty," friend Maritza Lucas said.

You see Jonathan and Steven Santiago were strangers but both happened to at the New Dorp station in Staten Island at about 1:30 a.m. on January 8th. For some reason, there are reports that Jonathan was intoxicated and that his shoe fell on the tracks.

Steven spotted him and helped him back up onto the platform.

Then, Steven, who was out of breathe, bent over.

At the same time, a train was coming through.

It clipped the 39-year-old in the head.

Both men were taken here to Staten Island University Hospital.

Jonathan was soon released.

Steven never regained consciousness and died Saturday morning.

"If he had a coat on his back and you had none, he would give you his, he was just a very good person," friend Raina Martinez said.

Considered a hero and so they can't understand why Jonathan hasn't reached out to them.

Saturday afternoon on Facebook, he wrote, "I was just informed that Steven Santiago passed away today. My prayers go out to Steven and his family. God bless."

This grieving family feels the message misses the mark.

"I think it says a lot more when you come forward to meet with the family, to know who Steven was," Raina Martina said.

---

Get Eyewitness News Delivered

Facebook | Twitter | Newsletters | Text Alerts

Copyright © 2024 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.