Teen boy suffers 'catastrophic' head injury while allegedly climbing moving Toronto subway car

A 16-year-old boy is in stable condition after suffering a “catastrophic head injury" while allegedly attempting to climb on top of a moving TTC subway car.

Officers with the Toronto Police Service (TPS) responded to Warden subway station at around 6:15 p.m.

In an update to media provided Monday night, TPS Inspector Michael Hayles said the teenager was found "suffering from a catastrophic head injury.”

Hayles said eyewitnesses reportedly saw the boy try to climb from inside one of the subway cars onto the roof of a moving train as it was approaching the station. The teen struck his head on either something in the tunnel or on the top of the subway car, Hayles added.

Paramedics stabilized the teenager and transported him to a nearby trauma centre in a life-threatening condition.

“I have just received an update and I can share with you that his condition has been upgraded to being stable, and he’s going to be undergoing some medical tests, including a CT scan,” Hayles said shortly after 8 p.m.

The motivation for why he was attempting to climb on top of the car is “undetermined” at this time, but Hayles confirmed there was no altercation.

Police cannot release any further information due to the teenager's age and the fact they have yet to notify next of kin.

“We do have investigators here both from 41 Division and from our traffic services, and they are both working with the TTC to reconstruct the events that led up to the injury,” Hayles said.

Subway service resumed just before 8:45 p.m.

Anybody with information is asked to call investigators at 416-818-4100.