A automotive crash that left 4 youngsters lifeless could have been linked to a TikTok problem, a police commissioner stated.
A complete of six youngsters had been in a dashing Kia that crashed about 6:30 a.m. Monday, Buffalo police stated. The automotive had been reported stolen Sunday evening.
All 5 of the passengers had been ejected from the automobile, police stated. 4 of them, ranging in age from 14 to 17, had been killed. The fifth passenger was hospitalized in intensive care, and the 16-year-old driver was handled at a hospital and launched.
The motive force was ticketed for legal possession of stolen property and unauthorized use of a motorized vehicle. The Erie County district legal professional’s workplace is investigating the crash and expects to file extra costs, spokesperson Kait Munro stated. It wasn’t clear if the motive force had an legal professional who may communicate for him.
Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia informed reporters Monday that the teenagers could have been collaborating in a TikTok problem that encourages individuals to interrupt into Kia vehicles utilizing cellphone chargers.
The so-called Kia problem, first posted over the summer season, exhibits the best way to hot-wire Kia and Hyundai vehicles with a USB twine and a screwdriver. Many police departments across the nation have reported will increase in Kia and Hyundai thefts for the reason that video was posted.
A category-action lawsuit filed in September in Orange County, California, alleges that Kias constructed between 2011 and 2021 in addition to Hyundais constructed from 2015 to 2021 lack anti-theft components referred to as engine immobilizers, making the vehicles simpler to steal than different fashions. The lawsuit seeks financial damages from the automakers and a nationwide recall.
Representatives for Kia and Hyundai didn’t reply to emails in search of remark.
