NEW YORK, NY – A teenage boy tragically died in a subway surfing accident in Queens late Wednesday night. This unfortunate incident marks yet another fatal occurrence tied to the risky activity that gains unwarranted popularity on social media.
The New York Police Department received an emergency call reporting an unconscious individual at the Forest Avenue subway station shortly before 10 p.m. Upon arrival, officers declared the 13-year-old boy dead at the scene, though his identity has not been disclosed.
This recent tragedy brings the total number of deaths from subway surfing this year to five. Notably, it follows the death of 11-year-old Cayden Thompson, who suffered a fatal head injury from a low metal beam while riding atop a G train in Brooklyn on September 16.
Thompson’s untimely death left his family and friends in mourning, with his grandmother at the funeral expressing frustration at how he managed to leave school unnoticed, questioning the school’s vigilance.
Despite efforts from city and state leaders to alert young individuals to the dangers of subway surfing through public information campaigns, such incidents continue to rise, based on recent data provided by the NYPD.
In response to this escalating issue, Melissa Aviles-Ramos, the newly appointed schools chancellor, announced on Thursday that the education department will organize a community forum focused on school safety, scheduled for Saturday. This assessment seeks to address concerns and bolster efforts to prevent further occurrences of such tragedies.
The continued education and reassurance from authorities aim to curtail the perilous trend, providing teenagers and parents with more awareness and preventive strategies. The troubling upward trend emphasizes the critical need for heightened measures and community involvement to safeguard against these preventable losses.