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Teen Killed While Subway Surfing Atop 7 Train
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Nov 25, 2019
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By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Nov 25, 2019
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A teenager was killed this weekend while riding atop a Manhattan-bound 7 train, according to the MTA.
The incident occurred around 9 p.m. Saturday night on the elevated track near Queensboro Plaza. The deceased's name has not yet been released, and a spokesperson for the NYPD could not offer any details about the death.
The victim's cousin, Chris Santos, identified him as 14-year-old Eric Rivera, a Bronx resident.
"I just want to say it was extremely foolish of him to surf the train, he should have never been on the roof of the train, but the kid had a soul of gold," Santos, 23, told Gothamist. "He was the type of person who would give you his last dollar, and would make sure all his friends were okay before himself...I don't care what anyone says he didn't deserve to die even if he played with his life."
The Daily News reported that a group of teenagers gathered at a nearby Checkers following the fatality. “It’s my fault,” one of them told the outlet. "I always go up with him when he asks me. I should have told him no.”
A GoFundMe for Rivera's funeral has raised over $500.
At least five people have died in the last three years while attempting to surf MTA trains. Last year, a man was reportedly electrocuted while standing on top of a Metro-North train following a Yankees/Red Sox game.
A serial subway surfer and transit recidivist was also recently caught while riding outside of a C train. Following that incident, New York City Transit chief Andy Byford told Gothamist: "Riding on the outside of a subway car is incredibly dangerous, disruptive, and foolish - it can cause major delays and easily result in death."
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Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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