Teen boy dies subway-surfing across Williamsburg Bridge
The latest tragedy is part of a new epidemic of “subway surfing” incidents which reportedly have surged by 350 percent in 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. MTA Chairman Janno Lieber called for social media platforms to ban the daredevil videos, likening them to the moral equivalent of posting Russian roulette videos played with live ammo.
| 24 Feb 2023 | 03:18
The teen was identified as Zackery Nazario, 15. His mother is raising money to cover the funeral costs in a GoFundMe. She calls him, “an old soul for his age. Zachery was loved by so many and will be missed. Photo: GoFundMe by Norma Nazario.
A 15-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene after ‘surfing’ on a J train as it crossed the Williamsburg Bridge. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
A 15-year-old boy died Monday evening February 20th, in a tragic ‘subway-surfing’ incident coming across the Williamsburg Bridge.
In the wake of the tragedy, MTA chairman Janno Lieber has called on social media platforms to stop posting videos of subway surfers, likening it to the equivalent of posting videos of people playing Russian roulette with live ammo.
“It’s really a question of will and intention, and a sense of doing the right thing,” said Lieber, speaking on Brian Lehrer’s talk show on WNYC two days after the latest tragedy. “I’m not interested in having a constitutional law debate. I am interested in protecting New York City kids who, for whatever reason, are encouraged, incentivized to do crazy stuff.”
Police responding to a 911 call arrived at 6:46 PM to find the boy later idnetified as Zachery Noel Nazario unconscious beneath a northbound J train on the Williamsburg Bridge. He had been standing on top of the train when police said he hit his head on a part of the bridge. EMS pronounced him dead at the scene.
The incident also caused J and M service to be interrupted for several hours.
His mother Norma Nazario on a GoFundMe page to raise money for his funeral called him a “smart young man who was my hero. An old soul for his age. Zackery was loved by so many and will be missed.”
As of Feb. 24, it had raised over $16,000.
Will Young, a friend who donated money to the fundraising effort wrote: “rest easy brother❤️ u was my man and it never gonna be the same w out u.”
Alicia Ferrari, who donated $50 wrote: “Dear Ms. Nazario, I’m so sorry to hear this devastating news. He was in my class and I feel terrible that this happened. Hugs, from Sophie.”
“Zach was the most caring person and did not deserve this,” wrote another friend, Lola Rivas on the GoFundMe page.
Subway surfing has been around for a long time, and has always been illegal but has recently experienced an unfortunate surge in popularity. The MTA said subway surfing incidents increased by 350% to 928 incidents in 2022 from 206 in 2021.
Lieber called for social media platforms to ban the videos, which he said are influencing impressionable kids. “The right thing to do is to not put up these videos, which obviously have negative consequences,” Lieber said on the WNYC interview with Lehrer. “If they were running videos of people playing Russian roulette with live bullets, they would understand the consequences and this is the equivalent for kids.”
“If they were running videos of people playing Russian roulette with live bullets, they would understand the consequences and this is the equivalent for kids.” MTA Chairman Janno Lieber.