2 teens dead in possible subway surfing incident in Brooklyn, police sources say

A train at the Coney Island Stillwell Avenue Terminal, May 5, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

New York -- Two teenagers were found dead in what New York City police are investigating as a possible subway surfing incident, sources tell CBS News New York.

The girls, between the ages of 15 and 18, were found unresponsive at the Marcy Avenue station in Brooklyn overnight, the sources said Saturday.

The teens were pronounced dead at the subway stop in the Williamsburg neighbourhood at around 3 a.m., shortly after officers arrived.

Their names were not immediately released by officials.

Investigators also did not say where at the station the bodies were found, if they were on the tracks or on a train.

The station at the corner of Marcy Ave. and Broadway was shut down and J and M trains were bypassing the stop while first responders were on the scene.

Service has since resumed, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Subway surfing a deadly danger in NYC. Sixteen people were killed and 21 were injured from subway surfing in the city over the past three years, according to NYPD data provided in September.

In June, a teen was critically injured riding on top of a 5 train in the Bronx. The boy suffered head and wrist injuries as the subway pulled into the Baychester Avenue station. A police source at the time said the boy fell onto the track bed and made contact with the train.

Last October, a 13-year-old girl was fatally struck by a 7 train in Queens after she fell onto the tracks while subway surfing and was struck, according to NYPD.

Days after the girl’s death, the NYPD and Mayor Eric Adams touted a drone program to spot people taking part in the dangerous and illegal activity and get officers along the route as soon as possible. At the time, police said 900 drone flights saved the lives of 114 people, from nine to 33 years old.

The MTA also rolled out the “Ride Inside, Stay Alive” campaign in September 2023, which is aimed at discouraging subway surfing, especially among younger New Yorkers who may be influenced by social media.