A person who died after being hit by a Red Line train was “subway surfing”, or surfing the Metro, a dangerous challenge popularized on TikTok, as confirmed by the general manager of the transit agency to our sister network News4.
Authorities responded to the deadly incident between the Rhode Island Avenue and Brookland stations around 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to the DC fire department.
“We had a person get off the train and have a tragic incident,” said Randy Clarke, Metro’s general manager.
One hundred and fifteen passengers were evacuated from the carriages while crews worked to recover the victim’s body. No one else suffered injuries.
The identity of the deceased was not immediately released.
Red line trains were delayed for several hours.
“Subway surfing” videos, which show people on top of moving trains, have been viewed millions of times on TikTok.
“I think it would be fair to say that we need people to stay inside the trains. There is no hypothetical situation where we want somebody on the tracks…or getting on top of a train,” Clarke said. “This has happened in New York and other places. We discourage anyone getting off the train, and if you see anything, report it immediately to the nearest transit police or Metro worker.”
One teenager died, and another was hospitalized after riding the subway in Brooklyn, NBC New York reported Thursday. In a statement after that incident, TikTok said that “dangerous activity precedes our platform.”
The investigation continues.
