Photo Courtesy of Y'Vonda Maxwell
A Brooklyn mother is devastated after her 15-year-old son was killed while performing a dangerous stunt on a New York subway train.
According to PIX 11, Ka’Von Wooden was subway surfing on a Brooklyn train on December 1. As the 15-year-old rode atop the southbound J train car in the Williamsburg section of the borough, he lost his footing and fell underneath, hitting the third rail close to the Marcy Avenue station. Emergency services declared Ka’Von around 11:30 that morning.
The conductor witnessed the teen surfing on the train and called the police. Officers arrived too late to save Ka’Von. NYPD evacuated 700 people from the subway, disrupting the city’s heartbeat for hours while emergency crews ensured everything was safe.
Calling her deceased son her “bright light,” Ka’Von’s devastated mother, Y’Vonda Maxwell, described losing the teen on a GoFundMe page she created.
“Yesterday, December 1, 2022, My family and I have received the worst news of our lives. We found out the news of his untimely death. Ka’Von was a bright, smart, charismatic, and caring individual. He showed a lot of love to the people he cared about, let alone anyone. Shy as he could be, he was a friendly soul.”
Y’Vonda continued, “At this time, we do ask if our privacy can be respected as we are mourning our loved one. We do thank you all for the positive love and support he has received! Unfortunately, life throws you a curveball, and this was one of those. We are asking for donations if you have it in your heart to be able to support us at this unfortunate time. If you can’t, please help by sharing this post around. He will forever be missed, and we will cherish his life daily.”
“You were a bright kid with a bright future. You’ll definitely be missed.”
The GoFundMe has raised $4,200 of its $10,000 goal.
In June, NYPD Chief of Transit Jason Wilcox discussed the dangerously growing trend among Black and Latino kids after two other children were injured when they subway surfed.
“Riding on the outside of a subway car is not only illegal but incredibly dangerous. Each year we see teens killed engaging in so-called subway surfing. We enforce rules prohibiting moving between the train cars in order to combat this dangerous behavior,” an NYPD spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday.
A community leader in New York, Craig Housen, shared his thoughts on the issue.
“This is not the first or second occurrence, and this is largely due to the fact that we are not making resources available to our Black and Hispanic youths of Williamsburg,” Housen said. “What happens is they find other ways and means to entertain themselves, and most of the time– it’s not usually safe.”