A teenage boy was found dead on train tracks in the Bronx after allegedly subway surfing sometime early Friday morning, police sources said.
The 13-year-old has not been identified, but NYPD officials said he was recovered around 9 a.m. near the Middletown Road station.
“These incidents are tragic reminders that riding outside of subway cars is extremely dangerous, not a cheap thrill," NYC Transit Interim President Demetrius Crichlow said in a statement. "We continue to mount an information campaign that includes teens speaking to teens about the risks of riding outside subway cars.”
The city's medical examiner will determine the teen's cause of death.
With the rise of subway surfing incidents, some of which have led to the deaths of young New Yorkers, state and city officials announced a new public campaign last year that aims to dissuade people from the dangerous act.
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Part of the campaign “Subway Surfing Kills - Ride Inside, Stay Alive" involves the NYPD deploying officers to stations on elevated lines and doing home visits with youths who have been observed riding outside of trains.
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Data shows that subway surfing -- the practice of riding outside the subway trains -- takes place predominantly during the warmer school months during the afternoon, showcasing it as a popular, yet dangerous after-school activity.
