Tragic Event Claims Life of Teenage Boy in Queens: Subway Surfing Danger Continues to Threaten New York City Youths.
In an unfortunate incident, a 15-year-old boy lost his life on Friday while apparently subway surfing in Queens. Police officials found the teenager at approximately 5:30 p.m., lying on the train bed of the Beach 90th Street Station’s elevated tracks in the Rockaways. The young boy had sustained severe head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel from the NYPD.
The investigation into this tragic incident is currently being treated as a “possible” subway surfing case, according to law enforcement authorities. Subway surfing has increasingly emerged as a dangerous and sometimes fatal pastime among thrill-seeking teenagers in New York City. In June, a 13-year-old boy was killed when he fell off a northbound 6-train in the Bronx onto the street below the elevated tracks. On the same day, another 15-year-old boy suffered serious injuries while riding on top of the very same subway line.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has reported a significant increase in the number of incidents involving people riding outside of trains, including those who choose to stand on top of them. During the first six months of 2023, there were 450 such reports—a stark contrast to the mere 262 incidents recorded over the same timeframe in 2019.
As authorities continue to investigate the recent tragedy, they hope that increased public awareness about the dangers associated with subway surfing can help prevent further loss of life among New York City’s youth.
