Girl dies in Metro train surfing incident, police say
Editor’s Note: A spokesman for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) provided updated information about the child who died. The story has been edited to reflect that updated information.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — The Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) said officers were investigating a girl’s death which appeared to be the result of train surfing.
MTPD said it received a report shortly after 10:30 a.m. Friday about a girl who was dead on a train at the Silver Spring Metro Station. Investigators said they believed she was train surfing before she died. Train surfing involves riding on the outside of a moving train.
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While the investigation was taking place, including into Friday afternoon, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) said that trains were single tracking around Silver Spring.
WMATA provided a statement late Friday afternoon:
We are deeply saddened to learn that a teenage girl lost her life this morning while riding outside of a train car en route to the Silver Spring station. Our thoughts are with the victim’s family. Riding outside of a train is dangerous, illegal, and highly likely to lead to severe injury or death. Signage is posted on bulkhead doors between railcars warning customers that walking between railcars is dangerous and prohibited unless in an emergency. We ask anyone who observes anything of an illegal or suspicious nature during their trips on Metro to please immediately contact Metro Transit Police at 202-962-2121 or alert a Metro employee.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
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