TikTok challenge possibly linked to car crash that killed 4 teens in New York

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A TikTok challenge may be linked to a car crash that killed four teenagers Monday morning in Buffalo, New York.

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According to The Associated Press, six teenagers were in a speeding Kia car that crashed around 6:30 a.m. on Monday. The Buffalo Police Department said that the car was reported stolen.

BPD said five of the teenagers were ejected from the car, according to the AP. Four of teens were killed in the crash, and were between the ages of 14 to 17. The other passenger was taken to the hospital and is in intensive care. The driver, identified as a 16-year-old, was taken to the hospital and has since been released.

According to the AP, the driver was given tickets for criminal possession of stolen property and unauthorized used of a motor vehicle. Additional charges may be filed once the Erie County District Attorney’s Office’s investigation is complete.

BPD Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia on Monday said that the teenagers were possibly involved in a TikTok challenge at the time. Gramaglia said the challenge encourages people to break into Kia cars with cellphone chargers, according to the AP.

The challenge was first posted on the TikTok platform over the summer and showed “how to hot-wire Kia and Hyundai cars with a USB cord and a screwdriver,” according to the AP. There have since been increased police reports of thefts in Kia and Hyundai cars across the country.

According to the AP, a class-action lawsuit was filed last month in Orange County, California, that alleges Kias created from 2011 to 2021 and Hyundais created from 2015 to 2021 did not have engine immobilizers built in, which are anti-theft parts, making these cars easier to steal. The AP said they reached out to Kia and Hyundai for comment but did not hear back.

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