FILE – A teenager subway surfing atop a J train on the Williamsburg Bridge in Brooklyn.
Photo by Wes Parnell
A 14-year-old boy survived being thrown from the top of a moving Queens-bound express train on the elevated outdoor Brooklyn J/M/Z line on Monday afternoon, according to the NYPD.
Cops responded around 3:41 p.m. on Nov. 2 to a 911 call that the teenager, whom they did not identify, fell from the train upon which he was believed to be subway surfing. He hurtled to the ground as the train passed through the Hewes St station in Williamsburg, within the confines of the NYPD’s 90th Precinct and Transit District 33, on the center-running track.
Emergency services personnel responded and rushed the teen across the East River to Manhattan’s Bellevue Hospital, where he is in stable condition, cops said.
The NYPD has yet to make an arrest and continues to investigate.
When reached for comment, the MTA press office referred amNewYork to the NYPD.
The J, M, and Z line is among the city’s most popular corridors for subway surfing — the act of intentionally riding on top of a moving train.
Along with the 7 train, which similarly sees a high concentration of daredevils, the J, M, and Z is a mostly elevated and outdoor line. That not only makes it easier to hop on top of trains, but also provides a sweeping background for shooting the subway surfing social media videos that have propelled the trend in recent years.
To tackle the apparent surge in subway surfing deaths and injuries among young people spurred by social media, former Mayor Eric Adams’ administration and the MTA launched a public service announcement campaign in 2023. The “Subway Surfing Kills – Ride Inside, Stay Alive” campaign utilizes the voices of teenagers to warn their peers of the dangers of subway surfing and discourage them from taking part in the activity.
The NYPD has also deployed drones to spot subway surfers and get them off the tops of trains before they end up dead or injured. It has also made over 200 subway surfing arrests since launching its crackdown in 2023.