A 15-year-old boy suffered serious injuries after allegedly riding on top of a New York City subway. Then, after being transported to a local hospital, the teen succumbed to his injuries.
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According to a statement issued by the New York Police Department and shared with PEOPLE, the incident occurred at around 2:45 a.m. on Friday, July 4. Police officers responded to a report of a male in need at Queensboro Plaza in Queens.
The boy was found unresponsive and unconscious. Allegedly, he had sustained serious injuries after riding on top of a subway. Specifically, this activity is called subway surfing, which has proven to be fatal in the past.
According to the New York Post, the teen had been riding on a southbound 7 train and fell onto the tracks as the subway was pulling over at Queensboro Plaza station. Footage obtained by the outlet shows the teen covered in blood being rushed out of the station by first responders.
After being transported to Bellevue Hospital, the teen succumbed to his injuries. The incident remains under investigation.
Demetrius Crichlow, president of New York City Transit, shared a statement with The New York Times, addressing the incident.
“This was as avoidable as it is tragic,” Crichlow said. “I implore family, friends, teachers and anyone else who knows children that are even thinking about riding outside subway cars to persuade them it’s not some video game — it’s suicidal.”
Similar Subway Surfing Incident
This fatal incident comes just weeks after a 14-year-old boy was seriously hurt while subway surfing.
According to the New York Post, the incident occurred around 4 p.m. on Monday, June 16. At the Baychester subway station, located in the Bronx, the teenage boy fell onto the tracks. He was reportedly subway surfing on top of a train.
First responders managed to transport the teen to Jacobi Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.
Previously, New York Governor Kathy Hochul addressed subway surfing in a June 11 announcement, revealing a campaign against the often fatal practice.
“Nothing is more important to me than keeping New Yorkers,” Hochul said. “Through this campaign, young New Yorkers will hear directly from peers and role models about the extreme dangers of subway surfing and the message is clear: ride inside and stay alive. New York will continue to do everything we can to keep our young people safe on the subways.”