High School Sophomore Fights for Life Following Dangerous Social Media Trend
In a tragic turn of events, a 15-year-old high school dancer is now in a coma after participating in a perilous social media trend known as “car surfing.” The incident, which occurred last Wednesday night in a Utah park, has left the local community in shock and serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of online challenges.
The Incident
Ava Broadhead, a sophomore at Cyprus High School and a talented dancer, suffered severe brain trauma when she fell from the top of a moving vehicle at Magna Regional Park. The accident took place after the school’s homecoming parade was canceled due to poor air quality.
Unified Police Sgt. Aymee Race described the incident to Fox 13: “The victim was on top of that car and as the car was driving around, the victim fell off and unfortunately, pavement isn’t as forgiving and the victim hit their head.”
Prior to the accident, Ava was eagerly anticipating her performance with the dance team at the homecoming football game and attending the homecoming dance. A family friend shared on a GoFundMe page set up for Ava’s medical expenses:
“Before this accident, Ava was looking forward to performing with her dance team at the homecoming football game and attending the homecoming dance in a beautiful white dress she had just picked out. Now, instead of those joyful experiences, she faces a long road to recovery, where she will need to relearn basic skills like walking, talking, and even simple tasks like tying her shoes.”
Medical battle
Ava’s mother, Kandis Broadhead, revealed to Fox 13 that her daughter required a “life or death” brain surgery. Currently, Ava is in a medically induced coma to allow her brain to rest. The road to recovery is expected to be long and challenging.
“I can’t imagine a future with Ava not being Ava,” Kandis Broadhead said. “It will take months, if not years, to recover from it.”
The resurgence of a dangerous trend
Car surfing, a risky activity where individuals ride on the exterior of a moving vehicle, has seen a resurgence due to social media. Sgt. Race explained the cyclical nature of such trends:
“Unfortunately, with social media, there’s ebbs and flows to these types of trends and right now this trend has been picking up, I mean, it stems from the eighties and movies to 10 years ago,” she said, “this was a significant trend and now here we are again with this trend picking up.”
A community in mourning
The incident has sent shockwaves through the local community, prompting discussions about the dangers of social media challenges and the importance of educating young people about risk assessment.
As Ava fights for her life, her family, friends, and the broader community rally around her, hoping for a full recovery while grappling with the harsh realities of a moment’s decision gone tragically wrong.