A thrill-seeking Brooklyn teenager lost his life Thursday while subway surfing, the latest to do so in a concerning trend, according to the New York Post.
Jevon Fraser, 14, was found lying on the platform at the Rawson Street station in Queens after allegedly trying to surf the northbound 7 train, according to the New York Post. The NYPD said his injuries indicated he fell from an “elevated height,” the Post reported.
A purported member of a group of “urban explorers,” Fraser was the fourth teen to die subway surfing in 2023, more than the last three years combined, the outlet reported.
The NYPD began tallying reported incidents of subway surfing this year, counting at least 66 reports as of June 22, according to the outlet. (RELATED: All Charges Dropped Against Man Who Stabbed Homeless Man On Subway)
Fraser’s alleged urban explorer group reportedly numbered in the hundreds and included performances of stunts like riding the subway cars, breaking into abandoned buildings, “and even lying on the subway tracks while a moving train passes over them,” a fellow member of Fraser’s group identified as Rop, told the Post.
Rop said most of the group briefly swore off the dangerous stunt after another member, 15-year-old Kavon Wooden, died subway surfing in December. Fraser’s death has now apparently reenforced that commitment. “Now this happened and they took a vow to stop for sure,” Rop told the Post. “I know this is hypocritical for me to say, but please just stop surfing,” he pleaded.
Fraser’s death comes only a week after another 14-year-old boy, Brian Crespo, was killed subway surfing Manhattan’s L train.
New York City mayor Eric Adams has reacted strongly to the deaths, blaming them on social media and calling on social media companies to ban videos of subway surfing on their platforms.
Social media must be socially responsible. Subway Surfing kills. We need everyone to be a part of ending this dangerous threat. pic.twitter.com/2RcEgEouLo
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) June 26, 2023
“Many of our social media companies are flat-out ignoring the deadly impacts that their algorithms are having on our children — whether it’s poisoning their mental health, enticing them to steal cars, or goading them to ride on top of subways,” Adams said, according to the Post.