New York City to launch PSA campaign warning against subway surfing
NEW YORK -- There has been a disturbing increase in incidents of so-called "subway surfing" in the city, some of them ending in death.
Now, City Hall is launching a new campaign to prevent people from riding on top of trains.
CBS2 spoke exclusively to one mother who lost her son that way and is determined to spread the message.
"Of course, I knew he was a special kid, but I love to see all this," Norma Nazario said.
Zackary Nazario's Manhattan bedroom is now a memorial to the 15-year-old.
READ MORE: Mayor Adams, MTA say social media partly to blame for deadly subway surfing trend
Back in February, the high school freshman told his mom he was riding bikes. Instead, he was riding on top of a J train over the Williamsburg Bridge, while his mom waited up.
"Seven o'clock, 8, 9, until a knock at the door at 10 o'clock," Norma Nazario said. "That was the detective's knock on the door. As soon as he held my hand, I already knew."
Zackary Nazario's head had hit a beam. He fell on the tracks and was hit by another train.
"I couldn't believe it," Norma Nazario said.
She had no idea her son was even into what's known as subway surfing.
"There are a lot of people who just want to do it for the adrenaline rush," friend Will Loreti said.
READ MORE: 15-year-old dies while subway surfing in Brooklyn
Zackary Nazario's friend says he was one of many kids who filmed his rides.
"The week before he died we were in the bathroom and he showed me a video coming back from Far Rockaway on the 7 train with all the snow. 'Look how beautiful.' I was like, you're gonna die. I shook him and said if you don't cut this out you're going to die and he said, 'Yeah, yeah, I know.' Like, that was my last train ride," Loreti said.
FLASHBACK: Caught on camera: Queens train stopped after shocked workers catch duo surfing on subway car roof
Last year, there were 928 reported incidents of people riding outside subway trains in the city -- a 366% increase from the year prior.
"I think it has been glorified by social media. We certainly seen a lot of activity as a result of that," New York City Transit Authority President Richard Davey said. "Those social media companies have been working with us to take that footage, those pictures down."
"Something needs to be done," Norma Nazario said.
Many surfers use the doors between subway cars to climb on top. The MTA locks some of the doors, but keeps many of them unlocked so they can be used as emergency exits.
"I will never see him graduate from college," Norma Nazario said.
She recently shared her son's story with Mayor Eric Adams for the city's new public service announcement campaign urging people not to subway surf.
"I saw a couple videos and was pretty shocked how popular it was on social media," Adams said.
Norma Nazario and the mayor hope sharing the stories will make others think twice before riding the roofs.
"This is deadly," she said.