Teen David Nagy, 17, killed during TikTok table surfing challenge in Pennsylvania school parking lot

Summary

David Jacob Nagy, 17, died on June 1, 2025 in the parking lot of Freedom High School in Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania, after participating in the 'table surfing' TikTok challenge. A friend tied an upside-down folding table to the back of a vehicle with a rope and towed David across the lot; the driver accelerated to a speed that whipped the table into a parked vehicle, killing David at the scene. The driver, also 17, was charged in juvenile court with involuntary manslaughter. In a separate incident on March 18, 2025, a 20-year-old woman suffered permanent catastrophic brain injuries after standing on the trunk of a friend's moving car in a similar TikTok-inspired stunt. Both cases were announced by Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta on September 23, 2025. TikTok said it removes content promoting dangerous behaviour and redirects searches for such challenges to safety resources.