Teens facing criminal charges after friend dies during TikTok ‘surfing’ stunt
One of the teenagers was standing on top of a table tied to a car when the crash took place
Two teenagers are facing criminal charges after taking part in a TikTok “surfing” challenge, which left one person dead and another with life-altering injuries, according to cops.
Both accidents occurred separately in Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania, 73 miles north of Philadelphia.
The social media challenge sees participants tying objects or themselves to cars and driving at high speeds.
The first incident took place on March 18, when Eniya Serina Alvarado, 19, was driving at 35mph with her friend standing on the trunk and rear windshield of her car.
However, Alvarado’s friend, 20, allegedly fell from the car and hit her head on the pavement.
She was moved to the back of the car, where she was found by investigators, according to court records.
The victim was rushed to St. Luke’s Hospital-Anderson in Bethlehem, where she was listed as being in critical condition. She was later transferred to a rehabilitation center.
Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta delivered a press briefing on Tuesday, where he revealed to reporters that the 20-year-old’s catastrophic head injuries will have permanent effects.
Now, the DA says that Alvarado faces charges of aggravated assault, aggravated assault by vehicle, careless driving, and persons hanging on a car.
Baratta also spoke about a second incident that took place on June 1. According to Baratta, the crash occurred while a 17-year-old boy was being pulled along by a vehicle while sitting on top of an upside-down table.
"Unfortunately, the juvenile driver recklessly operated the vehicle at a significant speed such that it whipped the rider sitting on the table into another parked vehicle, resulting in the death of the 17-year-old," Baratta said.
The driver, also 17, faces charges in juvenile court, including involuntary manslaughter.
"It's important for the public to understand that these challenges can have severe, real-world consequences, creating significant risk to participants and sometimes the bystanders as well,” the DA warned.
He added that the parents of the teens want to prevent other families from going through the “same horror and pain” that they have experienced.
Buratta expects both cases to be resolved without going to trial and says the teens could try to have their criminal charges expunged, since they are first-time offenders.
The DA hopes that the accidents highlight the “moral obligation” that social media companies have to stop the glorification of “dangerous stunts”.