After 14-year-old dies subway surfing in NYC, heartbroken family wants answers
By Lisa Rozner
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NEW YORK, New York (WCBS) — The family of a 14-year-old boy who died while subway surfing last week wants to prevent another family from going through the same heartbreak.
They spoke exclusively to CBS News New York’s Lisa Rozner.
“It was just too late” Chiquita Butler is still in shock after learning that her son Akhi was found unconscious on the Manhattan side of the Williamsburg Bridge around 6 p.m. Friday. Police said he died after subway surfing on the J train.
“I remember him texting my sister minutes before it happened with a picture saying he saw a dog on the train that looks just like his dog,” said Andre Dwayne, Akhi’s uncle. “One minute, I hear he’s doing good in school, and the next minute, I’m hearing that we got to go to Bellevue.”
Police said the eighth grader was with an 18-year-old, who is still in critical condition at the hospital. The family said they don’t know the teen and fear that Akhi was peer pressured into subway surfing.
“I wish the community would have spoke up, like if they saw him doing this before,” Dwayne said.
“It was just too late, you know,” Butler said.
His family said they don’t know if Akhi had gone subway surfing before or if this was the first time.
Combatting subway surfing The MTA has run ads on the dangers of subway surfing and installed barriers between cars to prevent people from climbing on top.
“A sensor would be a good idea to put on top of the train, to stop the train, to let people know that something is on top of the trains,” Dwayne said.
The NYPD utilizes drones to stop surfers, and said Wednesday that so far this year, it saved 83 people from the tops of trains. According to the NYPD, most of them had subway keys, either stolen from conductors or somehow purchased online.
“We want answers. No answer will bring him back, but maybe it’ll start something in the right direction to make all of this stop,” Dwayne said.
“Stop the subway surfing so no one, no more children can get hurt like this,” Butler said.
“He was a helper” There is a growing memorial at the Crown Heights building where Akhi grew up.
“He had compassion. He would help. He was a helper,” Butler said. “Helped the elderly people in the neighborhood. Carried their groceries upstairs to the apartment … He was athletic. He brought joy to the community, his laughter.”
She added, “I am truly gonna miss him so much.”
Akhi leaves behind two younger siblings, ages 3 and 5. The family is still making funeral arrangements.
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