A teen was killed while carrying out a dangerous stunt on a New York City subway train.
The 14-year-old boy was riding on the outside of a southbound F train at the Avenue N station before he fell onto the tracks and was then struck by an oncoming train. Authorities were called to the scene at around 2.20pm on Friday after commuters witnessed the tragic incident.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Blood could be seen beneath the elevated tracks of the Brooklyn subway station.
Richard Davey, the president of New York City Transit, said that the teen appeared to be participating in a stunt known as “subway surfing,” which involves jumping on top of train cars. Friday’s fatality is the latest to be associated with the dangerous stunt.
“Our thoughts are with the teenager’s family. Subway surfing kills. Another innocent life has been lost, and it should not happen,” Mr Davey said in a statement. “
Last year, five teenagers died in similar circumstances — with four deaths resulting from subway surfing recorded in the four years before, according to The Washington Post. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) released data that suggested incidents of passengers riding outside of subway cars had increased by 366 per cent since 2021.
Mr Davis said that the NYPD has stationed special after-school patrols along sections of subway lines that have become hot spots for subway surfers. Since September, an average of 11 people have been stopped from subway surfing every month.
“There are announcements — recorded by students — digital signs, and police officers in subway stations, and messaging in schools to deter it,” Mr Davey added in his statement. “Again, it pains me, but I implore parents to talk with their children and teachers to speak with their students – riding on top of subway trains is reckless, dumb, and the consequences can be lethal.”
