Thieves Steal NY Subway Train for Joyride (VIDEO)

A group of thieves hijacked a New York subway train and took it on a joyride, shocking commuters and raising security concerns. Watch the viral video.

The New York City police are searching for a group of individuals who commandeered a subway train in Queens and drove it around for leisure.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) has released images and footage of six people suspected of taking control of an empty ‘R’ train.

According to the NYPD, the theft occurred before 10:30 p.m. on Saturday near the 71st Avenue station in Forest Hills. Officers initially responded to vandalism reports but instead encountered a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) employee who revealed that several people had boarded an empty R train and taken it for a short joyride.

The thieves seized the opportunity and shared it on social media, uploading videos of themselves inside the conductor’s cabin and leaning out of the front door.

In one video, a person is seen operating the controls, while another sits on the train’s front door with their legs hanging over the tracks. A third individual stands behind them.

The NYPD reported that the R train was parked on a layup track at the 71st Avenue Station in Queens. The MTA mentioned that while it was left unattended, staff later discovered it had been moved but returned to almost its original position. Since the doors were locked, this suggested intruders used transit keys to access the train.

Transportation expert Robert Paaswell told CBS, “They clearly had knowledge about the train’s location and operation, as well as how to obtain the keys. Once started, it’s simply a matter of using the throttle to move and slow it down.”

The duration and distance of the trio’s train operation remain uncertain, but social media videos capture it traveling at high speeds. According to authorities, the intruders were dressed entirely in black, with their faces masked, and they obscured onboard cameras using a black marker.

Upon discovering that the train had been relocated, MTA workers transported it to the Queens train yard to examine its ‘black box’ data.

A spokesperson for the MTA informed reporters that New York City Transit is collaborating with the NYPD on investigating the incident.

According to the police, the incident is currently under investigation for reckless endangerment; however, no arrests have been made at this time.