A girl has died in what appeared to be a train surfing incident on a Metro train Friday morning, a Metro spokesperson said.
Metro Transit Police were called about 10:30 a.m. Friday for a "deceased juvenile" on a train near the Silver Spring station on the Red Line.
The girl's exact age was not immediately available; the spokesperson described her as only a juvenile.
More details about what led up to the girl's death are not yet known, but Metro Transit Police said their initial investigation indicated this was caused by train surfing. Train surfing is a dangerous activity in which someone rides a train from the outside or roof.
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The investigation is ongoing.
A statement from Metro sent just before 4 p.m. confirmed that the girl's death was caused by train surfing.
"We are deeply saddened to learn that a teenage girl lost her life this morning while riding outside of a train car en route to the Silver Spring station," Metro said. "Our thoughts are with the victim’s family."
Friends said she was an excellent soccer player with a big heart.
“I feel like the world came crashing down,” said a friend who asked to remain anonymous. “I feel like the world took a part from me.”
Metro also warned that "[r]iding outside of a train is dangerous, illegal, and highly likely to lead to severe injury or death. Signage is posted on bulkhead doors between railcars warning customers that walking between railcars is dangerous and prohibited unless in an emergency."
Red Line trains were running every 10 minutes with single-tracking between Silver Spring and Forest Glen as of about 2:30 p.m. Riders were told to expect delays in both directions.
In June 2023, one person died in a train surfing attempt on Metro.
“I think it's fair to say we need people to stay in the trains. There's no scenario where we want someone on the tracks or the right away or getting on top of a train,” Clarke said in the wake of that incident. “This has happened both in New York and other places. We really discourage anyone from getting out of that train, and if you see anything, immediately report it to transit police or the closest Metro worker.”
That same month, a teenager was killed and another was hospitalized after subway surfing in Brooklyn, NBC New York reported at the time.
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