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Four New York teenagers died in a car crash earlier this week and Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia is suggesting that TikTok's supposed Kia Challenge might be to blame.
On Monday morning, a stolen Kia packed with six teenagers crashed in Buffalo, New York, killing four of them. The 16-year-old driver, who has been charged with possession of stolen property and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, was taken to the hospital and treated, while another passenger was hospitalized in intensive care.
All the teens involved were between the ages of 14 and 16. One of the victims was 14-year-old Ahjanae Harper, who had purportedly recently had a baby. The crash is currently being investigated by the Erie County district attorney's office and they expect to level additional charges against the driver.
During a press conference on the day of the crash, Police Commissioner Gramaglia suggested the Kia Challenge could be to blame. He said, "I know Kias are widely publicized. The 'Kia challenge,' as it's called."
The Kia Challenge spawned from a group of thieves known as the "Kia Boys" earlier this year. The challenge purportedly involves stealing newer model Kia cars by using a specific USB-cord method to start the vehicle.
While Kias can seemingly be stolen using a USB method, the idea that this is an active challenge on TikTok has been doubted by many since the story of the Kia Boys first went viral back in July. Even the supposed originator of the challenge, TikToker @robbieray, called it "fake news," claiming he'd never heard the term "Kia challenge" before.
@newsnationnow “It’s not funny when somebody gets killed:” Family members of a 14-year-old girl who died in a car crash that may be linked to a TikTok challenge are speaking out. #ny #kia #challenge ♬ original sound – News Nation
People are reacting to the tragic death of the New York teens across TikTok and social media at large. One of the teen's parents spoke to @newsnationnow on TikTok, saying she "never would have thought in a million years" that her daughter would have put herself in that kind of situation. Another woman interviewed said she hopes people stop using "reckless behavior and violence as content to entertain people on social media."
At the time of writing, it has not been officially confirmed that the Kia Challenge was the motivating factor for the car theft.
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