In a devastating occurrence, two adolescent girls, one as young as 13, tragically lost their lives in what is believed to be a subway-surfing mishap on a Brooklyn train. This recent incident has escalated the number of subway surfing casualties to five this year, equaling the total for 2023 and nearing the six fatalities documented in 2024.
The incident transpired in the wee hours at the Marcy Avenue-Broadway subway station in Williamsburg. Police, responding to a call at 3:10 a.m., discovered the girls unconscious and unresponsive on top of a Brooklyn-bound J train. Three teenage boys were also found at the scene, two of whom were later apprehended by the police.
Emergency responders were observed removing a plastic bag and a skateboard from the station, although it is unclear whether these items belonged to the victims. The girls were declared dead at the scene. The age of the second victim is believed to be between 13 and 18 years old.
NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow expressed his grief over the incident, stating, “It’s heartbreaking that two young girls are gone because they somehow thought riding outside a subway train was an acceptable game.” He implored parents, educators, and friends to convey the perils of such actions, emphasizing that subway surfing is not a game, but a life-threatening risk.
Eyewitnesses reported that the girls were part of a group of approximately 15 teenagers who were seen frolicking inside the train before they were found on the roof. The perilous trend of subway surfing, amplified by social media, has seen a surge in recent years, with teenagers uploading videos of their hazardous stunts. From 2018 to 2022, five individuals lost their lives to this perilous activity.
Previous incidents include the death of 15-year-old Carlos Oliver from the Bronx, who fell from a southbound 7 train on July 4, and 12-year-old Gustavo Guaman-Quizhpilema of Queens, who was critically injured while riding atop a 7 train on March 14. Gustavo succumbed to his injuries four days later.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has been urging parents to dissuade their children from participating in this reckless trend. The MTA has also been running a “Ride Inside, Stay Alive” public service announcement since 2023. In an effort to combat this issue, the NYPD started using drones in November 2023 and arrested 229 people for riding outside trains in 2024, a significant increase from 135 in 2023.