Metro

Boy, 14, killed subway surfing in NYC, with devastating aftermath captured by Post photographer

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Published Jan. 12, 2024, 6:18 p.m. ET

A 14-year-old boy was killed subway surfing in Brooklyn on Friday, and the devastating aftermath was captured in heart-rending Post images, including one of a single sneaker lying beneath the elevated tracks.

Witnesses told police that the teen had climbed atop a southbound F train as it approached the Avenue N stop, which sits along the border between the Borough Park and Midwood neighborhoods and fell onto the tracks around 2:20 p.m.

He was then struck by an oncoming train, which tried to stop in time but could not, sources said.

The tragic toll of the dangerous stunt gone wrong was plainly visible in the moments after the accident.

A heartbreaking Post photo showed a sneaker, which the victim had been apparently wearing at the time, laying beneath the elevated tracks on MacDonald Avenue surrounded by crime scene tape.

Another tragic snapshot captured the double-yellow line down the center of the road splattered with the teen’s blood.

One of the shoes worn by the 14-year-old subway surfing victim fell to the street beneath the elevated tracks.
One of the shoes worn by the 14-year-old subway surfing victim fell to the street beneath the elevated tracks, where it was captured in this photo by a Post photographer who arrived shortly after the tragic accident. Paul Martinka
Some of the blood spatter reached the street beneath the elevated tracks.
Some of the blood splatter reached the street beneath the elevated tracks. Paul Martinka

The incident is only the latest in a string of deaths over the past two years linked to the dangerous stunt, which officials say has become increasingly common as teens seek to emulate the daredevil behavior that is widely shared on social media services such as TikTok and Instagram.

MTA statistics show there were 450 reports of people riding outside of trains, including on top of them, during the first six months of 2023, a figure up sharply from 262 reported over the same time period in 2019.

MTA president Richard Davey called the tragedy “heartbreaking” in a statement on Friday.

“Our thoughts are with the teenager’s family. Subway surfing kills. Another innocent life has been lost, and it should not happen,” Davey said. “I implore parents to talk with their children and teachers to speak with their students – riding on top of subway trains is reckless, dumb, and the consequences can be lethal.”

Stunned bystanders look at the scene.
Stunned bystanders look at the scene with one using their phone to take a picture of the aftermath. Paul Martinka

At least five people were killed while riding atop city trains in 2023.

In September, the MTA and Mayor Eric Adams rolled out a public service advertising campaign — which included advertisements and announcements made by New York City public school students — in a bid to turn the tide on the viral daredevil stunt.

Transit sources said that since the beginning of the school year special NYPD patrols in the have prevented an average of 11 people per month from subway surfing.