Teenager dies while climbing LA bridge for 'social media broadcast'

May 25, 2023

A 17-year-old boy fell to his death while climbing a Los Angeles bridge for a social media stunt, according to police.

Officers were called to the Sixth Street Viaduct at around 2am on Saturday and discovered the teenager, who was later pronounced dead in hospital.

Police Chief Michel Moore said the teenager slipped and fell "when climbing upon one of the arches, in order to post, apparently, a social media broadcast".

The $588m (£476.25m) bridge opened last July to replace an 84-year-old art deco one, and runs for 3,500ft (1.1km) over the concrete-lined Los Angeles River and connects the city centre to the Eastside.

The structure is the most expansive crossing built in the city, designed to become a city landmark, and features thousands of LED lights.

From the bridge, there are impressive views of LA's skyline.

Police have closed it several times, however, after it quickly became a hotspot for street racing, graffiti and illegal takeovers that drew hundreds of spectators to watch drivers perform dangerous stunts in their vehicles.

It also draws in content creators attempting to carry out social media stunts.

In one case, a man sat in a barber's chair for a haircut in the middle of the lanes.

A man was also shot dead on the bridge in January during the unauthorised filming of a music video.

"Tragically we see that location, while it has spawned a great deal of pride in Los Angeles, it has also unfortunately served as a backdrop now for tragedies such as this," Mr Moore said.

"Our added patrols will continue at that location... to counter such reckless actions."

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