CENTRAL, La. (WAFB/Gray News ) – Police in Louisiana have issued a warning about a dangerous social media challenge that officers say led to a major accident.

“People who post these things on TikTok and other social media platforms, who have no responsibility and don’t care about your children, are setting examples that entice children to follow them and we have accidents just like this,” Central Police said . Assistant Department Head Cliff Ivey.

According to police, a 17-year-old male in a northbound vehicle ran off the road Monday afternoon as he approached the Central Thruway intersection with Frenchtown Road. The car crossed the median and hit a southbound vehicle before coming to a stop and catching fire.

Police said statements from witnesses and the drivers involved indicated the northbound driver was playing a game of “drifting” or a challenge featured on social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube when he lost control of the vehicle.

According to officials, drifting is loosely defined as intentional oversteer that causes a loss of traction.

“As the young man found out yesterday, there are real-world consequences for the things we do, which, although you see them in cyberspace, don’t show up in real life and your car doesn’t automatically repair itself, and people actually get hurt and killed on our roads,” Ivey added.

Witnesses reported seeing the northbound vehicle repeatedly weave back and forth onto O’Neal Lane before entering the city. They said the vehicle sometimes “checks the brakes” of other cars on the road.

Police are now urging parents to warn their children against taking part in this extremely dangerous activity.

Police said no one was seriously injured.

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