Teen Loses Left Arm After 'Subway Surfing' in New York

subway surfing Teen loses left arm R Train New York subway Hamza Mohamed Metropolitan Transportation Authority outside the train car Richard Davey New York City Transit president 111th Street station Pat Warren Yousif Mohamed Soja Mohamed

By Lili Scott , Parent Herald Sep 01, 09:51 am

Photo: (Photo : DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)

A teen lost his left arm after attempting to "subway surf" and falling off the train car at the New York subway station.

Hamza Mohamed, 15, was with his friends at the R Train at the Roosevelt Avenue station when the incident happened. Witnesses said that Mohamed climbed on top of the train to try and subway surf, but he lost his balance and fell on the tracks.

The train started to depart the station when a woman screamed because she saw that the boy's arm was detached from his body. Bystanders then pulled out their phones to call 911, per People.

What is subway surfing?

Initially, police thought the boy was a victim of a crime at the subway station. However, a worker from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) told the police that he was subway surfing in the train car.

A passenger said people usually get off the train before the tunnel when subway surfing, but Mohamed must have missed his mark. Mohamed's arm was severed from below the elbow.

Witnesses further said that the boy appeared shocked after his accident. He didn't cry, and he was not wincing in pain. He was just looking around with blank eyes.

Subway surfing happens when people ride outside of the carriage. According to CBS News, the MTA has logged 627 incidents of subway surfing for 2022 alone. The number is a 553 percent increase from the previous year.

Richard Davey, New York City Transit president, reminded parents to tell their children not to attempt subway surfing after another incident in June left a teenage boy critically injured when he subway surfed at the 111th Street station. Before that, a video posted on Twitter showed a group of young boys running on top of the train.

MTA explicitly prohibits passengers from subway surfing or riding on the subway car from the outside via the end doors, except during emergencies with the police. MTA's chief safety and security officer Pat Warren said that riding outside is "reckless and extremely dangerous." People caught subway surfing are fined $75.

Mom said teen son would be fine

Mohamed's mother said her son is in stable condition and has been out of surgery after emergency services rushed him to the hospital. Doctors will eventually fit him with a prosthetic arm.

According to the New York Post, the family did not know about subway surfing until the teenager's accident. His mother said, however, that her son would be OK.

"I told him accidents happen in our life and it's tough for us but we can get through it because we're strong," Soja Mohamed said.

On the other hand, his father is seeking prayers for his son's recovery. Yousif Mohamed said they are distraught by what happened because his son is a good kid who didn't bring problems to his parents.