13-year-old boy found dead in Bronx – NBC New York

A teenager was found dead on train tracks in the Bronx early Friday morning after allegedly surfing the subway, police sources said.

The identity of the 13-year-old has not yet been determined, but NYPD officials said he was found near the Middletown Road Station around 9 a.m.

“These incidents serve as a tragic reminder that riding outside subway cars is extremely dangerous and not a cheap thrill,” NYC Transit interim president Demetrius Crichlow said in a statement. “We continue to run an education campaign that involves teens talking to teens about the risks of riding outside subway cars.”

The city’s coroner will determine the teenager’s cause of death.

In light of the increasing number of subway surfing incidents, some of which have resulted in the deaths of young New Yorkers, state and city officials last year announced a new public campaign to deter people from engaging in this dangerous act.

As part of the “Subway Surfing Kills – Ride Inside, Stay Alive” campaign, the NYPD sends officers to stations on elevated train tracks and makes home visits to young people who have been observed riding outside of trains.

Data shows that subway surfing – riding outside the subway – occurs predominantly in the afternoons during the warmer school months, making it a popular but dangerous after-school activity.

The MTA is taking a new approach to combating the deadly teen trend known as “subway surfing.” Andrew Siff reports.