GRAPHIC VIDEO: NYC Man Fatally Snaps Neck Trying to Jump Turnstile

Video footage showed the moment a man appeared to fatally break his neck while jumping over a subway turnstile in Queens.

Twenty-eight-year-old Christopher De La Cruz was pronounced deceased after the incident happened at the Forest Hills-71st Avenue station at approximately 6:45 a.m. on Sunday, police told the New York Post.

The disturbing surveillance footage showed the man attempting to leap over a turnstile once he entered the station. At first, he fell and appeared to drop his phone.

“De La Cruz, who was wearing a backpack, then stumbles back briefly before repeatedly trying to hop over another turnstile. On the final attempt, De La Cruz can be seen hoisting himself up — but losing his balance and flipping over the barrier,” the Post report said.

He fell on his head, breaking his neck, according to authorities.

The end of the clip showed his body lying still on the floor.

De La Cruz was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident, police noted, adding the victim was “attempting to evade the fare” when the incident occurred.

According to Fox News, in 2018 the penalty for hopping a turnstile meant a civil citation, and the accused would either face a $100 fine or challenge the case in the Transit Adjudication Bureau.

“In 2017, of 33,000 turnstile jumpers in Manhattan, 25,000 got summonses and 8,000 were arrested,” the report said.

Meanwhile, citizens were returning to the New York City subway in large numbers, and recent statistics showed a rise in subway crime, CBS New York reported December 13:

During November, statistics show the daily robbery average underground increased from 1.3 to 2.9. The daily major felony average rose from 3.8 to 7.8. There were 88 robberies in the system in Nov. 2021, compared to 39 in Nov. 2020. From January-November, felony assaults were up, but robberies were actually down from last year: 466 in 2021 compared to 534 in 2020.

The total number of major felonies, including assault, rape, murder, robbery and burglary, are down. From January-November 2021, it was 1,581. For 2020, it was 1,626. Pre-pandemic, in 2019, it was 2,227. Hate crimes in the transit system are up 79%.

“I think it’s getting worse. People are just not afraid anymore and they don’t see a big police presence,” one rider told the outlet.

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