Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that 4 teens killed in Buffalo car crash while attempting the viral TikTok “Kia challenge”.
The four teenagers killed in a Buffalo car crash while attempting a TikTok challenge encouraging car theft have been identified — with a young mom among the victims.
Marcus Webster, 19, Swazine Swindle, 17, Kevin Payne, 16, and Ahjanae Harper, 14, were killed when the stolen Kia they were riding in crashed Monday morning, ejecting them and one other passenger, WGRZ reporter Claudine Ewing confirmed Tuesday.
The driver, 16, was treated at the hospital and released, while a fifth passenger, a 14-year-old girl, is listed in good condition at Erie County Medical Center.
In a video shared on Twitter, a local says Harper had recently welcomed a baby girl.
“She was a young mother,” the man remembers. “She definitely spent a lot of time with her daughter.” Swindle’s sister, Nashira Anderson, told WIBV that the teen enjoyed playing basketball and was known for his goofy personality.
Webster, meanwhile, is said to have been a hard worker who juggled school and a job.
The driver of the Kia, which was reported stolen Sunday night, has since been charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and criminal possession of the stolen property. He is due back in court in November.
The teens are believed to have wrecked the car while trying to complete the “Kia challenge,” a TikTok trend that shows viewers how to hot-wire Kias and Hyundais.
Marcus Webster, 19, Swazine Swindle, 17, Kevin Payne, 16, and Ahjanae Harper).
All five of the passengers were ejected from the vehicle, police said. Four of them, ranging in age from 14 to 17, were killed. The fifth passenger was hospitalized in intensive care, and the 16-year-old driver was treated at a hospital and released.
The driver was ticketed for criminal possession of stolen property and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. The Erie County district attorney’s office is investigating the crash and expects to file additional charges, spokesperson Kait Munro said. It wasn’t clear if the driver had an attorney who could speak for him.
Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia told reporters Monday that the teens may have been participating in a TikTok challenge that encourages people to break into Kia cars using cellphone chargers.
A class-action lawsuit filed in September in Orange County, California, alleges that Kias built between 2011 and 2021 as well as Hyundais built from 2015 to 2021 lack anti-theft parts called engine immobilizers, making the cars easier to steal than other models. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages from the automakers and a nationwide recall.
Representatives for Kia and Hyundai did not respond to emails seeking comment. Another 14-year-old girl was recovering at Erie County Medical Center. She was initially being treated in the trauma intensive care unit, but she has been upgraded to good condition.
The 16-year-old who police say was behind the wheel of the stolen Kia was charged with a misdemeanor count of unauthorized use of a vehicle and a felony count of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was issued an appearance ticket and must appear in court on Nov. 15. The Erie County District Attorney’s Office is looking to file additional charges.
“You’ve got all these young people 14 to 19 who have their entire lives ahead of them and four lives are lost now. They’re gone – and now you have two other people directly affected, in addition to families and friends, who are forever impacted by this,” Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said.
Families and schools across Buffalo were grieving Tuesday.
Buffalo Public Schools issued an emailed statement, offering condolences to “everyone impacted by this unfortunate and horrific tragedy.” The driver has not been identified because of his age.
Charter School for Applied Technologies posted a message on its website that one of the victims was a former student who attended the school “until very recently.”
“We have dispatched additional counselors and social workers to the building,” the message said, noting that the death was not related to another death of a senior at the school earlier this month.
