NEED TO KNOW

  • Two teenage girls have died following an apparent subway surfing accident in Brooklyn
  • The bodies of the girls were discovered in the early morning hours of Saturday, Oct. 4
  • Subway surfing — which is a growing trend in New York City — entails riding on the outside of a moving subway train

Two teenage girls in New York City have died after a suspected subway surfing accident.

Police responded to a 911 call at the Marcy Avenue and Broadway subway station in the borough of Brooklyn on Saturday, Oct. 4, at approximately 3:10 a.m. local time, per a statement to PEOPLE from the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

“Upon arrival, officers observed two unidentified females, unconscious and unresponsive,” the statement said.

The teens — whose identities have not yet been released — were pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation into the incident is currently ongoing, the NYPD said.

N.Y.C. subway train (stock image).

Getty

In a statement to PEOPLE, New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) President Demetrius Crichlow said the tragedy involved subway “surfing,” which entails riding on the outside of a moving subway train.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“It’s heartbreaking that two young girls are gone because they somehow thought riding outside a subway train was an acceptable game. Parents, teachers and friends need to be clear with loved ones: Getting on top of a subway car isn’t ‘surfing’ — it’s suicide,” Crichlow said.

He added that the families of the teens, as well as the transit workers who discovered the victims, were left “horribly shaken by this tragedy.”

Four people died from subway surfing incidents in New York City in 2024, the NYPD told PEOPLE. There were 162 subway surfing-related arrests in the city in 2024, and there have been 128 arrests so far this year.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), the parent agency of the NYCTA, currently has an active public information campaign designed to educate the public — especially young people — on the dangers of subway surfing. The campaign features the slogan, “Ride inside, stay alive.”