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A dangerous TikTok trend has left one person dead and another with serious brain damage.<\/p>\n
Two teenagers have been accused of driving recklessly while attempting \u201cdangerous social media challenges,\u201d prosecutors in Pennsylvania said on Tuesday, September 23, per ABC News<\/a><\/em>. The charges stem from two separate incidents that took place earlier this year in Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have had two criminal investigations involving the dangerous and reckless use of an automobile to create what are known as stunt challenges,\u201d Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta<\/strong> said during a press briefing on September 23, per ABC News<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s important for the public to understand that these challenges can have severe, real-world consequences, creating significant risk to participants and sometimes the bystanders as well.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the incidents took place on June 1 when a 17-year-old boy was sitting on top of an upside-down folding table, which was attached to a vehicle with a rope. Baratta explained that the table was pulled by the car as his friend drove around a high school parking lot.<\/p>\n Australian Man, 71, Charged With \u2018Inappropriately\u2019 Touching Sleeping Woman on Flight<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, the juvenile driver recklessly operated the vehicle at a significant speed such that it whipped the rider sitting on the table into another parked vehicle, resulting in the death of the 17-year-old,\u201d the district attorney explained.<\/p>\n The alleged driver, who was also 17 years old, is facing charges in juvenile court, including involuntary manslaughter.<\/p>\n The other incident took place in March when a 20-year-old woman was \u201csurfing\u201d on the back of a vehicle that was being driven by her friend in a parking lot. According to Baratta, \u201cthe friend was thrown from the moving vehicle and received catastrophic head injuries that will be permanent in nature.\u201d<\/p>\n The car was allegedly being driven by a 19-year-old, who is now facing charges including aggravated assault, aggravated assault by vehicle, careless driving and persons hanging on a vehicle, per Baratta.<\/p>\n While Baratta said that both of the drivers were \u201cnot planning to injure their victims,\u201d he explained they were both charged because the actions \u201cof these drivers were so grossly negligent and reckless that it constituted a criminal, culpable state of mind.\u201d<\/p>\n None of the drivers or victims have been publicly identified. However, Baratta did confirm that both incidents were inspired by social media trends.<\/p>\n 2 Syracuse University Students Charged with Hate Crimes Targeting Jewish Fraternity<\/a><\/p>\n During the press briefing, Baratta said he anticipates that both of the cases will be resolved without going to trial. If the teens complete court-supervised programs, they will be eligible to ask that their criminal charges be expunged. Additionally, Baratta noted that the drivers are both first-time offenders.<\/p>\n He also said that the parents of the victims \u201cstruggled a lot\u201d with the cases, sharing that they \u201cexpressed disappointment\u201d in both their children and the friends that took part in the \u201cstunt challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThese parents do not want other families to go through the same horror and pain that they had to endure,\u201d Baratta explained. \u201cUltimately, there needed to be accountability for the death and the permanent brain injury to these two victims.\u201d<\/p>\n