Teen dies from serious head injury playing social media tackle game

A teenager has died in New Zealand after he clashed heads playing a brutal tackle game inspired by a viral social-media challenge.The 19-year-old, identified by local media as Ryan Satterthwaite, died in a hospital on Monday — a day after he suffered a “serious head injury” playing the game in Palmerston North, cops said.“The tackle game played by the group of friends was based on a social media-driven trend, where participants compete in full-contact collisions without protective gear,” Inspector Ross Grantham said in a statement.The game in question — dubbed “run it straight” — is part of a challenge that sees a runner and a tackler charging towards each other at full speed on a so-called battlefield.

While “run it straight” has been played casually in Australia and New Zealand for some time, the dangerous trend has surged in popularity of late as scores of youngster share footage of their run-ins.Some clips circulating on social media even show participants passing out after colliding with their opponent.Others, meanwhile, have started holding unsanctioned tournaments.

“While this was an impromptu game among friends, not a planned event, this tragic outcome does highlight the inherent safety concerns with such an activity,” Grantham said of the recent fatal tragedy.“We would urge anyone thinking about taking part in a game or event like this to consider the significant safety and injury risks.”   ...