New York City police arrested a 17-year-old girl accused of taking a subway train on a joyride before crashing it into another parked train and fleeing the scene.
The incident occurred shortly after midnight on Sept. 12 at the Briarwood station in Queens, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).
Authorities said the teen, along with an unidentified male companion, managed to board an unoccupied train, somehow got it moving, and crashed it into another train on the tracks.
No injuries were reported, and the extent of the damage remains unclear.
The youth, who was taken into custody on Wednesday around noon, faces charges of criminal mischief and reckless endangerment.
These images from surveillance camera video provided by the New York City Police Department, show two unidentified individuals being sought who entered an unoccupied New York City subway train and operated it, causing a collision and damage to the train, Sept. 12, 2024. The NYPD is still searching for the male suspect involved in the incident.
New York City Police Department via AP
Surveillance footage from the station shows two young people—one person dressed entirely in pink, including a pink shower cap, while the other is wearing a blue tank top.
The NYPD released the images in a bid to identify and locate the second suspect, who remains at large.
Police have not disclosed how the teens managed to operate the subway train or whether they had prior experience with the system.
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which runs their subway network, has not provided further details but said they were assisting with the ongoing investigation.
The incident raises questions about security and oversight within the MTA, which operates one of the largest and oldest subway systems in the world.
On an average weekday, over five million riders use New York’s subway network, making it the busiest transit system in the United States.
Despite this massive daily ridership, incidents of unauthorized individuals operating trains are rare but not unheard of.
This is not the first time someone has managed to commandeer a subway train.
In the 1990s, New York’s subway system faced several similar incidents where individuals, often teenagers, found ways to drive subway trains for short distances before being caught.
Darius McCollum is perhaps the most well-known case. McCollum, who has Asperger’s syndrome, has been arrested over 30 times for impersonating MTA employees and commandeering various trains and buses since 1981.
At just 15 years old, McCollum drove an E train for six stops without incident before being caught. He knew how to operate the train from observing MTA workers.
Over the years, McCollum has repeatedly managed to access and operate subway trains and buses. His most recent arrest was in 2015, when he was caught driving a stolen Greyhound bus in Brooklyn.
The MTA has made efforts to improve security in recent years, installing more surveillance cameras and increasing the presence of transit officers across stations.
However, the ease with which these teens managed to start and operate the train may prompt further scrutiny of safety protocols.
Police are urging anyone with information about the second suspect, who has yet to be identified, to contact them.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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