The mother of 13-year-old Krystel Romero, who died while subway surfing in New York City, is making an emotional plea to other young people to avoid this perilous social media trend.
Maria Elena Ortiz, 31, expressed her devastation after losing her daughter just days before she was set to graduate from middle school.
“Stop subway surfing—it’s not a game,” Ortiz told the New York Post through tears, speaking emotionally about the pain families endure when a child’s life is lost to reckless stunts. “If you die, think of the pain you will cause your family. Please kids, don’t do it.”
Ortiz, a cleaner from Jackson Heights, Queens, described her heartbreak, saying:
“I don’t want to live right now. I feel so desperate. She was my baby.”
Krystel and a 14-year-old friend were reportedly riding on top of a southbound No. 7 train when they fell between the cars and were run over at the 111th Street station on the night of Oct. 15.
While Krystel was pronounced dead at the scene, her friend remains in critical condition.
Family friend Ever stated that no one was aware the girls were engaging in such dangerous behavior, indicating that they were likely influenced by the desire for social media fame.
“Social media is crazy right now. They just want likes,” Ever lamented, urging other children to think twice before risking their lives for viral moments.
The issue has garnered attention from city officials, including Mayor Eric Adams, who remarked on the alarming influence of social media on youth behavior.
“Social media has radicalized and hijacked our children,” Adams stated, stressing the need for parental involvement in guiding kids away from such stunts.
He likened the phenomenon to how children imitate actions seen in movies, highlighting the impressionability of youth.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) has launched campaigns to discourage subway surfing, including distributing thousands of messages throughout the transit system.
MTA CEO Janno Lieber reaffirmed the commitment to tackling this dangerous trend, noting that the agency would continue to pressure social media platforms to remove harmful content promoting subway surfing.
Unfortunately, Krystel’s death marks the sixth fatality related to subway surfing this year, underscoring the urgent need for awareness and prevention efforts.
