A social media stunt turned dangerous in the United States when an 18-year-old was rushed to the hospital while recording a video on a busy roadway. According to the New York Post, the teenager suffered severe injuries. The incident happened around 8:10 pm (local time) on Sunday along Southwest College Road (State Road 200) near the Ocala West Plaza in Florida.

According to the Ocala Police Department, three young adults placed their cameras on the road’s centre median to film a haircut clip for TikTok.

While the group was recording, an SUV pulling out of a nearby shopping complex collided with a pickup truck. After the impact, the pickup truck lost its balance and moved towards the median, where it struck the 18-year-old.

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Emergency responders arrived shortly after and transported the injured teenager to a nearby hospital for treatment. Authorities confirmed that he suffered serious injuries, though no other people involved in the crash reported hurt.

According to the bystander’s video shared on Instagram, one of those involved in the incident told witness Yaj Lerom, “We were chillin’ right there, and I was givin’ my boy a haircut.”

“Next thing you know, I’m on the ground. We’re pancakes and flapjacks, flying,” the person whose identity was not released added.

“I got goosebumps, and I got them again. I get it every time I talk about it because it’s, being a content creator, I don’t want to sound hypocritical because I’m in some crazy places, but I’m not putting myself out there,” Lerom told WKMG.

“My thing was, young kids, something needs to be done. These accounts that are doing that need to be banned. They shouldn’t even be seeing these videos.”

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Local officials addressed the rumours circulating online and clarified Monday morning that the teenager survived the collision.

The officials also reminded the public about the severe safety risks of recording reels and videos on active roadways or medians, noting that it could become a life-threatening situation.

“We would never advise this,” Ocala Police spokesperson Jeff Walczak said, as quoted by Fox35.

Notably, the investigation into the crash remains ongoing.