Two violent incidents disrupted New York City’s subway system on Monday, leaving a teenager hospitalized in critical condition and a 24-year-old woman dead, police said.
Shortly after 4 p.m., a teenage boy fell onto the tracks at Baychester Avenue station in the Bronx while riding on top of a northbound 5 train. Emergency responders transported the boy — believed to be between 14 and 16 years old — to Jacobi Medical Center, where he remains in critical condition as of Tuesday morning, according to the NYPD.
Later that evening, a separate tragedy unfolded in Manhattan. Just after 10:20 p.m., a woman descended onto the tracks at the Union Square station as a northbound L train approached. Witnesses told police the woman attempted to climb back onto the platform but failed to escape in time. She was struck and killed. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene at 10:27 p.m.
Authorities have not yet released the names of either victim.
The incidents come as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority steps up efforts to curb dangerous behavior in the subway system. Last week, the MTA launched a public safety campaign titled “Ride Inside, Stay Alive,” targeting the growing trend of subway surfing among teens.
The agency is also experimenting with new safety measures, including tubular barriers installed between certain subway cars. “So far, the equipment seems to be holding up,” MTA Transit President Demetrius Crichlow told CBS News New York.
Despite these efforts, officials say the problem persists. At least one person has died this year from subway surfing, according to the MTA. In 2024 alone, the NYPD recorded six deaths, 15 injuries and 229 arrests linked to the practice.
