Three of the 30 or so passengers on board sustained injuries in the 8:17 a.m. derailment, which left the uptown A train stuck about 100 feet into the tunnel at 14th Street and Eighth Avenue in the West Village, they said.
The train was entering the busy station when it struck metal plates that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority uses to secure tracks to the beds.
Three of the cars jumped the tracks, scraped the pillars between the beds and smashed the third rail, killing power to all four tracks.
Some good Samaritans seized the 30-year-old suspect, who reportedly was laughing after the crash.
Transit police took him into custody.
One of the injured was taken to Bellevue Hospital, another was treated at the scene and a third refused medical attention.
A line service was suspended in both directions south of 14th Street. Uptown service was suspended from Canal Street to Columbus Circle at 59th Street. A, C, D, E and F trains were rerouted.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Fort Lee and receive free news updates.