By KEVIN SHEEHAN and MATTHEW NESTEL
A terrifying drama unfolded in a Manhattan subway station last night when a man was crushed between a train and the platform -- trapping him for at least a half hour until he could be freed.
The unidentified victim fell into an 8-inch space between a southbound No. 4 train and a movable platform extender -- which bridges wide gaps between the platform and the train on curved tracks -- in the Union Square station at 10 p.m., officials said.
The 41-year-old man -- who was in critical condition last night -- was trapped at his waistline.
Witnesses said he was conscious and yelling in agony during the ordeal, which ended only after a track worker was able to release the hydraulics that control the metal "gap filler" extension device.
BRUTAL: Rescue workers rush a man out of Union Square Station after he was crushed between a train and a movable platform extender for a half-hour.
The motorman, Janice Carter, told The Post that after she brought the train to a stop, people started banging on her window and shouting that there had been an accident.
"I secured my train and came out to investigate," she said. "It was complete madness. People everywhere. I saw the man between the gap filler and the train. He was yelling."
Conductor Cornell Cumberbatch said he was shocked by what he saw.
"The train came into the station . . . I opened the doors, somebody came and told me that somebody was trapped," he told The Post.
An MTA worker, who asked that his name not be used, said it took about 20 minutes before a contractor arrived and was able to climb into a platform manhole to work on the extender's hydraulics.
After about 10 more minutes, he removed a tube from the device, releasing air pressure so the victim could be freed by cops, sources said.
The FDNY arrived about four minutes later and removed the man, the MTA worker said. Sources said that despite being crushed by the train, there was no sign of blood at the scene.
He was rushed to Bellevue Hospital but his exact injuries were unknown.
It was not clear last night why the man fell, but cops said he may have been drinking.
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