Mother of Manhattan boy Zackery Nazario, 15, killed during subway surfing set to sue MTA
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: The grieving mother of Zackery Nazario, who was killed during "subway surfing" in New York City, is set to sue the Metropolitan Transit Authority. The 15-year-old Manhattan boy died on the Williamsburg Bridge on Monday, February 27.
Norman Nazario reviewed the video on her late son's phone which showed nothing prevented him from getting onto the J train roof where his head was hit, eventually leading to his death. She plans to sue the MTA for their failure to block off the train's empty parts used for challenging stunts, reported New York Post.
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'No alarms, no security, no cameras'
Talking about the footage Norman reviewed, she said, "[The videos] show he has easy access. No alarms, no security, no cameras, no anything!”," and added, "He was able to access anything in the trains, the empty cabins, the train stations, nobody [was] looking. I was so surprised."
Norman stated that for decades, the transportation authorities are aware of the teens riding on the outside of trains. However, they have made no effort to take preventive measures or restrict access. Furious at the authorities, Norman said, "Don’t get me wrong, my son, he had no business doing what he did. But they knew 10 years ago kids did this so easily. My son died. When are they going to do something?," and added, "Obviously I am planning to sue."
'I am going to bring his ashes home'
According to New York Post, Norman mentioned that she wanted to discuss the possible preventive steps for subway surfing with Mayor Eric Adams. Across the Williamsburg Bridge, Zackery rode with his girlfriend on the roof of a northbound J train. He fell beneath the train after his head slammed on a metal beam. According to police, when the teenager was struck and fell, he appeared to turn his head back to look at his girlfriend.
On Friday, March 3, Zackery's remains were cremated by Norman. She will be moving her late son's ashes to her family's apartment. "I’m going to bring his ashes home. I want my son in his room one way or another," Norman said. According to the MTA data, between January and May 2022, subway surfing incidents witnessed an increase of 560%.