Masked Individuals Take Unoccupied NYC Subway Train for Joyride, Police Searching
New York City police are on the hunt for a group who allegedly commandeered an unmanned subway train in Queens and took it for a joyride. The New York Police Department (NYPD) has released images and footage of six individuals suspected to be involved.
The incident occurred around 10:30 PM on Saturday near the 71st Avenue station in Forest Hills. Initially, officers responded to reports of vandalism but were instead informed by a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) employee that several individuals had boarded an unoccupied ‘R’ train and operated it briefly.
The group shared videos of their stunt on social media, showing them inside the conductor’s cabin and hanging out of the front door. One video depicts a person operating the controls while another sits on the front door with legs dangling over the tracks, and a third standing behind them.
Investigators believe the intruders used transit keys to access the secured train on a layup track at the 71st Avenue Station. They moved the train before returning it near its original spot, with locked doors indicating unauthorized entry.
Transportation expert Robert Paaswell told CBS that the individuals appeared knowledgeable about operating the train and gaining access to it. The duration and distance of their unauthorized trip remain unclear, but social media footage shows the train moving at high speed. The group wore all black, masked their faces, and covered onboard cameras with a black marker.
MTA workers subsequently analyzed the train’s ‘black box’ data after discovering its movement. Police are investigating the incident as reckless endangerment, but no arrests have been made yet. New York City Transit is collaborating with the NYPD on the investigation.