Anthony Yates
Authorities in Pennsylvania have charged two teenagers for their involvement in dangerous social media “stunt challenges.” The incidents fatally wounded a 17-year-old and left a 20-year-old with life-changing injuries.
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What happened: Per CBS News, Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta addressed the incidents in a press conference.
- Baratta insisted he did not reveal details to stigmatize the victims or their families. “These incidents were horrific in regard to the outcome,” he said. “It’s important for the public to understand that these challenges can have severe, real-world consequences.”
- The Attorney’s office detailed two separate instances, both involving teenage drivers in Bethlehem Township. Authorities charged a 17-year-old with involuntary manslaughter following an incident in the Freedom High School parking lot on June 1.
- The driver allegedly tied an upside-down table to the back of his car. He then dragged his 17-year-old friend around the area riding the table. The vehicle reportedly traveled at such “significant speed” that it whipped the teen on the table into a parked car. He died from the impact.
Another Social Media Incident Caused Life-Altering Injuries
In a separate incident earlier in March, a 19-year-old female driver allegedly drove her vehicle while her 20-year-old friend “surfed” on the trunk.
- Barrata explains that this incident occurred in the Park and Ride parking lot on William Penn Highway. “Unfortunately, the friend was thrown from the moving vehicle and received catastrophic head injuries that will be permanent in nature,” he said.
- Authorities note that the charges are still open for both cases, stressing that they are just accusations at this time. Barrata notes that neither driver was intending to hurt their victims. “However, in both incidents, the actions of these drivers were so grossly negligent and reckless that it constituted criminal, culpable state of mind,” he said.
- Addressing the parents of the victims, Baratta called them “realistic.” “They acknowledged that all participants in these TikTok challenges were attracted by the risk of danger,” he added. Neither family believes their children were forced into participating.
Per CBS, prosecutors are not pushing for prison time for either driver. Instead, they hope the charges serve as a deterrent.
A response from TikTok: A TikTok spokesperson told ABC the company removes content promoting dangerous behavior, which can cause serious injury. They also claimed “99.8% of the videos removed for violating TikTok’s ‘dangerous activities and challenges policy’ were taken down proactively, with 92.4% of them receiving no views.”
