A Bronx teenager survived a fall from the top of a northbound 5 train while subway surfing Tuesday evening, according to police. The 15-year-old boy fell onto the tracks around 6 p.m. between the East Gun Hill Road and Pelham Parkway stations, suffering a head injury.
Emergency services transported the teenager to NYC Health and Hospitals Jacobi Medical Center where he was in stable condition, according to police.
Police and transit officials are intensifying efforts to curb the dangerous “subway-surfing” trend fueled by social media, which encourages young New Yorkers to climb onto the tops of train cars for a risky thrill. The number of deaths and injuries has risen in recent years, a surge Mayor Eric Adams attributes to the growing popularity of online videos showcasing the perilous stunt.
Six young people died last year after subway-surfing falls, up from five in 2023, which equaled the number of deaths from the previous five years combined, according to police.
The rising death toll prompted the administration to implement measures to discourage kids from riding on top of train cars. The MTA introduced the “Subway Surfing Kills – Ride Inside, Stay Alive” media campaign to highlight the deadly risks of the trend. In October 2023, the NYPD deployed drones to monitor train lines with high surfing activity, particularly before and after school hours.
Officials stated that the drone program has been effective in saving lives, but train surfing remains a persistent issue. A quick search on social media platforms reveals new videos of thrill-seekers riding on top of train cars almost every day.
