A dangerous subway surfing stunt led to a 14-year-old boy being hospitalized in critical condition after he fell from the roof of a moving train in New York City. The incident occurred on Monday around 3:40 p.m. on the J/M lines, which connect Manhattan and Brooklyn. The boy fell onto the middle track as the northbound train approached the Hewes Street station in Williamsburg, according to the NYPD.
Paramedics transported the unidentified teenager to Bellevue Hospital. Police stated that no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
Subway surfing, a dangerous trend that involves climbing atop fast-moving subway cars, has been increasingly popularized on social media. This incident echoes a tragedy in May when two teenagers were struck and killed after subway surfing on a J train and falling off near the Williamsburg Bridge, an area known for low-hanging beams. Akhai Butler, 14, died in that incident, and another individual sustained serious injuries.
MTA officials have repeatedly urged parents to warn their children about the lethal risks of subway surfing. In October of the previous year, two girls, ages 12 and 13, were found dead on top of a J train in Brooklyn after striking a beam. Another fatality occurred in 2023 when a 15-year-old was struck by a beam while riding on top of a train.
Authorities have reported a significant number of fatalities related to subway surfing in recent years, with five deaths recorded in 2022 and 2023. This year, at least five to seven individuals have died from the stunt, and a total of 13 people have died this year, according to PIX11 News.