Boy run over by pickup in skateboarding accident

Published 3:24 pm Wednesday, April 23, 2008

EVERETT — A 15-year-old Everett boy likely hit a manhole cover with his skateboard, fell and was run over by a pickup truck that was towing him Tuesday afternoon, Everett fire officials said.

The boy remains in critical condition in intensive care this afternoon at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The teen reportedly was “skitching,” short for skateboard-hitchhiking. That’s where people hold on to the back of a moving vehicle while riding a skateboard. The boy fell and was run over around 5:30 p.m. on 56th Street SW between Ocean and Sound avenues, officials said.

Aid crews rushed the unconscious boy to Harborview Park, where he was taken by helicopter to Seattle for treatment.

The boy suffered multiple injuries, Everett Assistant Fire Chief Joe Johnston said.

Two 15-year-old boys were holding onto a pickup truck traveling about 20 mph when the accident occurred, Johnston said. The boy who fell was holding on near the front of the truck, next to the driver’s side door.

Detectives continue to investigate the accident, Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz said.

Police impounded the truck. The 17-year-old driver declined to speak with detectives. Police were scheduled to talk to the uninjured 15-year-old today, Goetz said.