Boy, 13, dies subway surfing doing 'awful' TikTok challenge
RIDGEWOOD, Queens (PIX11) --- A 13-year-old boy died doing an "awful" TikTok subway surfing challenge in Queens on Wednesday night, according to police and the child's mom.
Authorities found the teen unconscious at the Forest Avenue subway station in Ridgewood at around 10 p.m., according to the NYPD. Police said the boy was subway surfing when he fell off the top of the M train.
The teen, Adolfo Sanabria Sorzano, died at the scene.
The boy's mom said he was doing the "awful" TikTok subway surfing challenge, according to a GoFundMe page started to cover his funeral expenses.
"Adolfo was a child full of life, with dreams and hopes, and his passing has left a void that is impossible to fill. I ask you with all my heart to help us say goodbye to him with the dignity he deserves. Any donation, large or small, will be a huge relief in these difficult times," the mom said.
Last month, an 11-year-old boy died subway surfing after falling off the G train near the 4th Avenue-9th Street station in Brooklyn.
On Thursday morning, a 20-year-old man was injured after falling off a train in the Bronx. The man was subway surfing and fell off the No. 5 train near the East 180th Street subway station around 8:20 a.m., police said.
He was hit by an unknown structure before falling off the train, according to the NYPD. The man was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police have cracked down on the dangerous activity this year. There have been 163 arrests for subway surfing in 2024, a 22% jump from last year, according to amNewYork.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She has been with PIX11 News for two years. See more of her work here.