Two Pennsylvania Teens Charged After TikTok Stunts Kill Friend, Leave Other with Permanent Injuries

Two Pennsylvania teenagers have been charged after prosecutors say TikTok-inspired stunts left one friend dead and another with lifelong injuries in separate, unrelated incidents in Northampton County.

In the first case, on June 1, 17-year-old David Nagy died while riding on top of a folding table that was tied to the back of a friend's car. Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta said the driver recklessly increased speed and whipped the rider into a parked vehicle, causing Nagy’s death. The driver and other participants were not described as having criminal intent prior to the incident, but Baratta emphasized that their actions met the threshold for criminal culpability because they were "so grossly negligent and reckless."

The second incident occurred March 18, when a 19-year-old woman allegedly drove through a parking lot with her 20-year-old friend "surfing" on her trunk. The rider fell off and sustained catastrophic head injuries that Baratta’s office said will be permanent in nature. He described the case as another example of dangerous, TikTok-inspired behavior that endangered people who were close to the participants.

Baratta noted that neither teenager has a prior criminal record and neither is accused of planning to harm others in a calculated way. He said the cases hinge on gross negligence and recklessness rather than a premeditated intent to injure. He added that the families involved had close personal ties to those harmed, which makes the incidents even more heartbreaking. "The families did have a closeness and a trust with these close friends — I mean they knew them very well. That’s what’s so heartbreaking in this case," Baratta told reporters at a news briefing. He added that while prosecutors will pursue charges, they do not necessarily seek jail time if the teens accept plea deals, arguing that accountability and deterrence are the primary goals.

These cases are not isolated to Pennsylvania. A similar car-surfing incident in Utah last year left a 15-year-old girl with a severe brain injury, underscoring the broader risks associated with popular social-media challenges and the impulse to imitate risky stunts.

The district attorney’s office stressed that the charges stem from gross recklessness rather than a belief that the victims deserved harm. Baratta said the families want accountability and deterrence, hoping that highlighting the consequences will deter other youths from engaging in similarly dangerous challenges.

The Northampton County cases remain ongoing, with prosecutors signaling that plea negotiations could shape any potential sentences. Details of the specific charges were not disclosed in advance of potential plea agreements. Baratta asserted that the public interest lies in preventing future injuries by addressing the behavior that led to these tragedies, while recognizing the pain experienced by both families.

The incidents have reignited discussions about the impact of social-media challenges on teen behavior and the legal boundaries of endangering others in pursuit of online notoriety. Law enforcement officials say awareness campaigns and education about the dangers of stunt-based trends are essential to preventing repeat incidents as platforms continue to popularize high-risk trends among adolescents.