An 11-year-old Salt Lake boy remains hospitalized in critical condition after colliding with a Handi-Van Monday night while riding his skateboard down a hill.
Area residents says the intersection is extremely dangerous.
A skateboarder zooms past the intersection of Likini and Aila Streets in Salt Lake. It was here where an 11-year-old boy collided with a Handi-Van at about 5 p.m. Monday while racing down Aila Street.
"I was just sitting down and I just heard the impact with the van," said R.J. Antonio says he and others rushed to the boys side. "I just seen the van with blood on top and just I seen him on the ground."
A family member says the boy is fighting to stay alive after suffering severe head injuries.
"I guess they just said its severe and there’s not much they can do for him but I think last night it was like 50-50," said the victim’s cousin Carlos Contrades. "Yeah it’s really sad, everybody is taking it hard."
"I don’t go down that hill," said Antonio. "Why? I don’t know it’s too steep down there."
But many skaters do.
"Ah yeah, pretty much it’s not that fast but it still catches speed," said Blaine Untalan.
Some say it’s a form of bombing hills.
"Getting down the hill as fast as you can and clearing the turns," said Untalan. "You have one spotter that’s watches out for you making sure that there’s not cars coming."
It’s not clear if the 11-year-old boy had a spotter at the intersection. Friends say he was sitting on a borrowed skateboard when he slammed into the Handi-Van.
"Yeah big blind spot."
Skaters say downhill skateboarding is not always dangerous and most experienced skaters obey the laws of the road and can stop very quickly.
"Usually we like foot-brake to like slow down or like we just jump off a board if we see a car coming," said Untalan.
But area residents say this particular intersection has long been a problem.
"The skateboards, no breaks, I mean kids, like I said kids are kids and they don’t realize it," said long-time Likini Street resident Earl Peters. He said he’s seen many accidents and nearly witnessed another one involving a moped while our camera was rolling. "Taking chances and that’s exactly what these kids do. I mean they take a lot of chances, like I said they got no brakes and yet there you go there you go, there you go right there."
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
