Skateboarder dies after hitching a ride on friend's car
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Updated: July 07, 2009 6:28 AM
The family of a 21-year-old Kelowna man is asking young people to stop and consider their actions after the man died in a skateboarding accident on Spiers Road earlier this week.
According to police, the man, whose identity was not immediately released, was hanging onto the passenger door of a vehicle being driven by his friend in the 3400 block of Spiers Road around 9 p.m. June 2. The skateboarder fell from his board, was struck by the vehicle and received substantial upper body and head injuries.
The driver, who was badly shaken up by the incident, called for help and two passersby administered CPR before emergency crews arrived at the scene.
The injured man was rushed to Kelowna General Hospital but died as a result of his injuries a short time later.
RCMP Const. Steve Holmes said the man's family wants to convey the message that their son’s untimely and tragic death will not have been in vain if other young people stop to consider the consequences of such dangerous activities as the one that claimed their loved one's life.
In a release from the RCMP issued Friday, the man's parents said their son enjoyed skateboarding but, sadly, chose to elevate the thrill by combining it with the dangerous practice of being towed by a vehicle.
That choice has left the family to grieve.
Police are continuing to investigate the incident and have seized the vehicle involved pending a mechanical examination.
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