NEW YORK – A car accident that killed four teenagers could be linked to a TikTok challenge, a police commissioner said.
A total of six teens were riding in a racing Kia that crashed around 6:30 am on Monday, Buffalo police said. The car was reported stolen Sunday night.
All five passengers were ejected from the vehicle, police said. Four of them, aged between 14 and 17, died. The fifth passenger was admitted to intensive care and the 16-year-old driver was treated in the hospital and discharged.
The driver was charged with possession of stolen material and unauthorized use of a vehicle. The Erie County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the incident and plans to file further charges, spokeswoman Kait Munro said. It is unclear if the driver had a lawyer who could speak for him.
Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia told reporters on Monday that teens may have participated in a TikTok challenge that encourages people to get into Kia cars using cell phone chargers.
The so-called Kia challenge, first published over the summer, shows how to hot-connect Kia and Hyundai cars using a USB cable and screwdriver. Many police departments across the country have reported an increase in Kia and Hyundai thefts since the video was released.
A class action filed in September in Orange County, California, claims that Kia’s built between 2011 and 2021, as well as Hyundai’s built between 2015 and 2021, are free of anti-theft parts called engine immobilizers, making the cars easier to steal than other models. The lawsuit seeks damages from car manufacturers and a national recall.
Representatives from Kia and Hyundai did not respond to emails seeking comment.
