The lethal rise of ‘subway surfing’: ‘If someone slips, it’s game over’

The past year has seen a resurgence in a century-old trend: trying to ride on top of New York trains, with horrific results

The video quickly went viral in June: a group of people dashing across the roof of a moving New York City J train. Captured from far off, the train can be seen about to cross the Williamsburg Bridge, with its 135-foot drop to the East River - yet the daredevils, dressed in black, leap from car to car.

A similar stunt resulted in a far more horrifying clip days less than two weeks later, when a 15-year-old boy suffered a severe head injury while riding on top of a 7 train in Queens. Footage reviewed by the Guardian showed first responders hoisting the profusely bleeding teen off the roof and laying him on the floor with part of his skull separated.