Two teen girls — one just 13 — found dead on Brooklyn train in suspected subway surfing incident: cops

Officers were seen speaking to three teen boys inside the station, then driving two of the boys away in a cruiser.LoudlabsNYC

Two teenage girls — one just 13 years old — were killed early Saturday morning in what police believe was a deadly case of subway surfing on a Brooklyn-bound J train, authorities said.

The horrific incident marks the fifth subway-surfing fatality this year, nearing last year’s total of six deaths and matching the five recorded in 2023, according to police data.

Officers responded to a 911 call at about 3:10 a.m. at the Marcy Avenue–Broadway station in Williamsburg, where they discovered the girls unconscious and unresponsive on top of the moving train. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

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Cops and firemen were seen carrying a plastic bag and skateboard out of the station, but it’s unclear if the items belonged to the victims.LoudlabsNYC

Police said one of the victims was 13 years old, while the other has not yet been identified but is believed to be between 13 and 18.

“It’s heartbreaking that two young girls are gone because they somehow thought riding outside a subway train was an acceptable game,” said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. “Parents, teachers, and friends need to be clear with loved ones: getting on top of a subway car isn’t ‘surfing’—it’s suicide.”

Crichlow added that he was thinking of both the grieving families and the transit workers who discovered the victims, describing them as “horribly shaken” by the tragedy.

Witnesses told police the girls had been with a group of about 15 teens running around inside the train before they were found on the roof. Officers were later seen speaking with three teenage boys at the scene and escorting two of them away in a police cruiser.

Police and firefighters were also seen removing a skateboard and plastic bag from the station, though it remains unclear if the items belonged to the victims.

Officials say the rise in subway-surfing deaths has been fueled by social media, with teens chasing viral videos and online attention. Between 2018 and 2022, only five people were killed in such incidents, but the numbers have since surged.

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The two victims have yet to be publicly identified.LoudlabsNYC

Earlier this year, 15-year-old Carlos Oliver of the Bronx died after falling from a 7 train in Queens, and 12-year-old Gustavo Guaman-Quizhpilema was killed in a similar accident after striking an overhead structure while riding atop a train in Corona.

In response to the growing trend, the MTA launched its “Ride Inside, Stay Alive” campaign in 2023, urging young people to avoid dangerous stunts. The NYPD has also deployed drones since late 2023 to spot and deter subway surfers, resulting in 229 arrests in 2024 — a sharp rise from 135 the previous year.

Officials continue to urge parents to talk with their children about the fatal consequences of these reckless acts.