Two teenage girls tragically lost their lives early Saturday morning in what appears to be a subway surfing accident in New York City. The incident occurred at the Marcy Avenue-Broadway subway station around 3:00 a.m. Police arrived at the scene to find the girls, ages 13 and another victim believed to be between 13 and 18, unresponsive on top of a subway train. Authorities pronounced both girls dead on-site.
Subway surfing—a dangerous trend where teens ride on the outside of moving trains—has proven fatal repeatedly. In 2023, five people died from similar incidents, and 2024 saw an increase with six fatalities. This latest incident raises the death toll for 2025 to five already, highlighting the growing concern surrounding this reckless behavior.
Witnesses described seeing around 15 teenagers in the vicinity before the girls were discovered. Shortly after police arrived, they spoke with three teenage boys at the station and took two of them in for questioning. This investigation sheds light on the risky activities gaining traction among young people.
The rise of subway surfing has been fueled in part by social media, where videos of such stunts often circulate, enticing others to engage in similar perilous activities. As these videos glamorize the risk, many may not fully grasp the potential consequences.
In an effort to curb this reckless trend, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has initiated public service announcements urging parents to take an active role in their children’s safety. Their campaign, titled “Ride Inside, Stay Alive,” emphasizes the importance of using the subway correctly. The NYPD has also joined the fight against this trend by deploying drones to patrol and monitor subway activity, targeting those who choose to ride on the outside of trains.
The consequences of subway surfing are severe. Not only does it endanger the lives of those who partake in it, but it also poses risks to innocent bystanders and creates deeply traumatic experiences for families and friends of victims. The fatal outcomes of such reckless endeavors call for urgent conversations about youth safety, accountability, and the influences shaping today’s teenagers.
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