Mom of teen killed while 'train surfing' is suing BART

SAN FRANCISCO - A woman whose son was killed while dangerously stunt riding on top of a moving BART train last year has now filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the transit agency. 

The complaint, filed in State of California Superior Court in San Francisco this week, asks for damages and a jury trial. 

The mother, Marina Baran, her son, Daniel Baran, who was 19 when he was killed, and her husband, Alexander Baran, are listed as the plaintiffs. 

Baran's son took his fatal thrill ride in January 2024. His body was found on the tracks near Balboa Park Station. 

At the time, Baran did not blame BART and only warned others not to pull this type of stunt, calling her son "risky." 

The lawsuit cites negligence of both the train's operators and the transit agency itself, stating the defendants breached their duty of providing high standards of utmost care to Daniel. 

Train operators are supposed to ensure that no passenger contacts the train's exterior while it is in motion, the lawsuit claims. The plaintiffs argue that BART should be equipped with sensors if someone opens a train door while it is moving and that the train should have an emergency mechanism that slows the train in the event that doors are open while the train is moving. 

The damages listed in the suit include medical expenses, physical pain, mental suffering, and emotional distress. This includes economic damages suffered by Marina and her husband following her son's death. 

Just weeks after her son's death, a 15-year-old died pulling the same stunt on a BART train near Daly City. 

BART officials had no comment when we reached out to them about this lawsuit.