Teen causes $350k in damages after allegedly derailing train for YouTube prank

A 17-year-old YouTube prankster has been charged with two felonies after allegedly derailing a train in Nebraska for an “insane” video, causing $350K worth of damage.

On April 21, 2024, the youngster showed off his supposed ‘prank’ in an upload he said was the most “insane” YouTube video he’d ever taken.

In the video, a train can be seen colliding with a car on the tracks, derailing but failing to topple over. Three months later, the five-minute ‘practical joke’ has racked up nearly half a million views — and plenty of criticism from concerned netizens.

The teen was cooperative with investigators who came to survey the scene, and was even the first to phone in the accident, where no one was harmed.

He was charged on Wednesday, July 24, with two felony counts of “criminal mischief causing damage worth more than $5,000.”

This means that the prankster could be facing a $15,000 fine and up to seven years in prison on each count, as per the New York Post.

The train’s conductor provided a statement to KOLN, saying that he took notice of a “misaligned” switch on the tracks ahead of the crossing. Although he attempted an emergency stop, he couldn’t brake in time, ultimately resulting in the collision.

Investigators discovered that a padlock on the switch had been removed. Although the teen initially denied tampering with the switch, investigators noted that he had knowledge of how the device worked.

As told by an affidavit, the teen was seen walking on the south side of the tracks ahead of the collision in the direction of the switch.

At the time of writing, a motion has been filed to put the case in county court, meaning he may be tried as an adult.

This is far from the first time a teenager has faced criminal charges due to their online ‘pranks.’ On July 19, 2024, another teen in Brussels was reported to police for throwing a mixture of poo and other materials on train passengers — something he also got arrested for doing earlier this year.