15-Year-Old in Stable Condition After Losing Arm While 'Subway Surfing' Outside Train in NYC
A teenager has lost his arm after attempting to ride on the outside of a subway train in Queens, New York City.
A New York Police Department (NYPD) spokesperson tells PEOPLE that the 15-year-old's left arm was severed and that he was transported to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition after officers responded to a call Monday at around 10:30 a.m. at the 74th Street and Broadway station.
"A preliminary investigation determined that the male was struck by a northbound R train as it was pulling away from the station," NYPD says. "The aided is not believed to be the victim of a crime. The investigation remains ongoing at this time."
Witnesses and police said the teenager was attempting to climb to the top of the train when he fell and landed on the tracks, the New York Post reports.
Getty A New York City subway
"We know he was subway surfing on the outside of the car," a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) worker told The Post. "Usually when you're subway surfing, you have to get off the train before the tunnel. He must've miss that point."
The employee explained that the teenager's arm was severed "from the elbow down" and he appeared to be in shock: "He was just looking around like nothing happened. He didn't cry or nothing."
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According to Fox 8, surveillance footage shows the train leaving the station before the youth emerges from underneath, yelling for help as bystanders pull him onto the platform. His arm was found at the next station and transported to the hospital as well.
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MTA Chief Safety and Security Officer Pat Warren says in a statement shared with PEOPLE: "Riding outside of subway cars is reckless and extremely dangerous. This behavior can result in awful consequences, as it likely has for the young man who was severely injured on Monday."
Reports of people riding outside subway trains in N.Y.C. have risen by more than 500 percent since 2020 with 627 reported cases in the first half of 2022, according to MTA data sent to PEOPLE.
