BROOKLYN, NY – A 14-year-old teenage boy was tragically killed in a “subway surfing” accident in Brooklyn. The teenager, identified as Alam Reyes from Queens, fell off an F-train and was hit by a second train. Reyes was described by his neighbors as a respectful, quiet young boy and a lover of video games.
The incident transpired shortly before 2:30 p.m. on Friday, leaving behind chilling remnants of a single sneaker and a pool of blood where Reyes fell. Reyes reportedly spent a lot of time alone, his mother toiled tirelessly cleaning houses to provide for the family.
One neighbor spoke fondly of the teenager, stating, “He is a very good boy. Very quiet, very respectful guy. He’s always smiling, a good boy.”
According to New York police, Reyes was riding on top of a train on the elevated tracks between Borough Park and Midwood when he was thrown off and struck by another approaching train.
MTA figures highlight a steep rise in “subway surfing” incidents, with 450 reports in the first half of 2023, up significantly from 262 reports within the same period in 2019. MTA President Richard Davey, mourning Reyes’s death, entreated parents to warn their children about the hazardous and potentially fatal act of “subway surfing.”
In an endeavor to curb such perilous activities, Mayor Eric Adams initiated a public service campaign in September. The campaign was focused specifically on discouraging teens from such life-threatening stunts on MTA trains in New York.
Meanwhile, police sources report that close to a dozen potential incidents have been averted monthly since the start of the school year.