An 18-year-old skateboarder was not expected to survive severe injuries he sustained after he was struck by a vehicle in Linda Vista on Tuesday.
The skateboarder, who was not identified, suffered a skull fracture and brain bleed when he rode against a red light and was struck by two vehicles at 7:17 p.m. Tuesday, the San Diego Police Department said.
He was riding eastbound in Osler Street on the south side of the Genesee Avenue intersection and a 45-year-old man driving a Chrysler Pacifica southbound on Genesee Avenue hit the skateboarder as he crossed the street, according to SDPD Officer John Buttle.
The teenager was thrown into a Nissan Altima driven by a 25-year-old man stopped at the red turn arrow in a northbound turn lane, Buttle said. The skateboarder came to rest south of the Nissan in the northbound lane.
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"He came here every other day, was a really good kid. He skated a lot," Mason Spears, a friend of the victim, told NBC 7 at the skatepark on Wednesday. "He was a great kid. I don’t know why it had to happen to him."
Spears said the teen was an accomplished skateboarder and often picked up stunts on his first try.
"I was like, 'Wow.' I got butterflies in my stomach. There was no way this happened. it’s sad," Spears said, describing his reaction to the news that his friend was in fighting for his life after the crash.
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The accident, having happened so close and involving a close friend, is having a chilling effect on spears and other skaters. It’s a harsh reminder of the dangers beyond the skate park surface.
The two drivers involved in the collision remained at the scene. Neither were cited or face charges in connection with this accident.
Traffic Division officers responded to the scene and were investigating the collision.
