Local police warn about teen ‘car surfing’ incident caught on video
FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio (WJW) — The same weekend a local teenager died falling off an SUV, another police department is sharing video of teens “car surfing.”
“That car when it left the parking lot, it was probably doing about 50 miles an hour,” said Fairview Park Police Chief Paul Shepard.
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Sunday night, Fairview Park Police were called to the high school for a complaint of reckless driving around 9:45 p.m. Upon arrival three minutes later, everyone was gone. A neighbor recorded a video of the incident and sent it to police. It shows at least one person riding or “surfing” on top of a vehicle as a driver goes in circles around the parking lot.
“If you weigh 150-200 pounds you become a 200-pound projectile,” said Shepard. “You’re hitting cement, you’re hitting asphalt and you’re doing it at 30 miles an hour, 40 miles an hour 50 miles an hour. In the end, your body, no matter what condition your body is in, is just not designed to take that much trauma.”
Police are looking for the people involved, and hope to remind them about how fragile life can be.
“In light of what happened in the city of Avon on Saturday where an 18-year-old male was killed falling off of a car, I thought it was best we be proactive,” said Shepard.
Avon police said the teenager died after he fell off a moving SUV during a game. Shepard said both incidents, although somewhat similar, do not appear to be directly related. He said towards the end of the school year teenagers, with new driver’s licenses can feel invincible leading up to milestone moments, including prom and graduation.
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Shepard is urging parents to talk with their kids and help prevent another tragedy.
“If we save a life or prevent a serious accident from happening it’s worth it,” Shepard said.
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