Woman attacked with needle at Manhattan subway station, cops say

A man randomly pricked a woman with a needle at a Manhattan subway station, an incident that follows a spike in transit slashings, police said.

The 37-year-old victim was waiting for the R train on the platform of the 49th Street station in Midtown when she told the NYPD that a man bumped into her right shoulder about 6:20 p.m. Wednesday.

When she got home, she saw her shoulder had a puncture wound and felt pain, authorities said.

The victim went to Mount Sinai Hospital Queens for treatment.

Police are investigating her case, and no arrests have been made.

As of Thursday, at least seven riders have been slashed in the subway this year, and four stabbed, according to cops. Seven of the slashing and stabbings followed an argument, and two were robberies. One was random.

Transit crime spiked almost 11% in 2015, fueled partly by sleeping riders who were targeted by pickpockets, police said. Subway crime rose 35% in January, compared with the same month last year. There have also been more assaults involving objects, with riders hitting other commuters with items like umbrellas and newspaper racks.

Police said this week they would begin waking up sleeping subway riders if they appear vulnerable to becoming victims of crime.

Precinct cops are also being deployed to subway stations, coordinating with transit officers.