Teenager thrown from Brooklyn train at 3:41 p.m.
The 14-year-old boy was hospitalized in stable condition after falling from the top of an express train in Williamsburg on Nov. 2.
By Elena Greco ·
A 14-year-old boy was hospitalized in stable condition on Nov. 2 after falling from the roof of a moving express train in Brooklyn. The incident occurred on the elevated outdoor J/M/Z line. Police believe the teen was engaged in subway surfing, a practice of riding on top of trains.
The boy was thrown to the ground as the train passed through the Hewes St. station in Williamsburg. This area falls within the NYPD’s 90th Precinct and Transit District 33. The fall happened on the center-running track.
The sequence of events began around 3:41 p.m. when police responded to a 911 call. Emergency services personnel rushed the teen across the East River to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan. The NYPD confirmed the patient’s stable condition upon his arrival.
The J/M/Z line is a popular corridor for subway surfing. The line is mostly elevated and outdoor, which makes it easier for riders to climb onto the roof. The open sky also provides a backdrop for social media videos that have fueled the trend in recent years. The 7 train also sees a high concentration of participants in the activity.
City agencies have taken steps to address the rise in injuries and deaths linked to the trend. The MTA and the administration of former Mayor Eric Adams launched a public service campaign in 2023. The “Subway Surfing Kills, Ride Inside, Stay Alive” initiative uses the voices of teenagers to warn their peers about the dangers. The NYPD has also deployed drones to locate and remove surfers from train roofs. The department has made more than 200 arrests related to subway surfing since beginning its crackdown in 2023.
The NYPD has not yet made an arrest in this incident. The department continues to investigate the fall. The MTA press office directed media inquiries to the NYPD. The agency has not identified the injured boy.
