Boy 'subway surfing' loses arm after being hit by train

Subway surfer falls on tracks

Police said a teen was trying to climb on top of a subway car when he fell off. The train then severed the boy's arm.

NEW YORK - A boy lost an arm while attempting to subway surf on a train inside a New York City subway station.

It happened around 10:30 a.m. at the Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street Station in Jackson Heights, Queens.

Police sources told FOX 5 NY's Linda Schmidt the 15-year-old boy was with three friends and was trying to climb on top of a subway car. He fell off as the train started moving and then a northbound R train hit him and severed an arm.

The NYPD said the boy was rushed to Bellevue Hospital and underwent emergency surgery. He was listed in stable condition.

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"Riding outside of subway cars is reckless and extremely dangerous," MTA Chief Safety and Security Officer Pat Warren said in a statement. "This behavior can result in awful consequences, as it likely has for the young man who was severely injured on Monday."

Subway joyriding has skyrocketed, according to the MTA. The agency reported 627 incidents so far this year of riders either riding on top of a car, riding in between subway cars, or clinging to the side of a car. That is up from 96 incidents during the same period last year.

The MTA said that northbound trains on the M and R line bypassed the station during the police investigation. The E and F lines were also delayed due to the incident.