A longboard rider, Erich Hostetter, is dealing with some serious injuries following an accident.
Just after 7:30 a.m. on February 29, Hostetter was out on his longboard, according to the California Highway Patrol. Hostetter came upon the intersection at northbound Highway 49 and Luther Road where he failed to yield.
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Approaching the intersection and making a left-hand turn was Fredrick Weisgerber. He was coming from southbound Highway 49 and hit Hostetter head-on in the intersection. Police have determined that Weisgerber had the right-of-way at the intersection.
Hostetter ended up getting knocked to the ground during the accident, sustaining major injuries as a result of the accident. Weisgerber was uninjured in the accident.
California requires all persons under the age of 18 to wear a helmet when riding on a skateboard. Hostetter’s age was not disclosed, but neither was the evidence of him wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
Broken bones are also a risk in this type of accident. When the body is not protected, it leaves it vulnerable to injuries it would not normally sustain in a car accident.
Even if a person is over the age of 18 a helmet is still recommended if a skateboard is going to be ridden where there is traffic. Head injuries are often sustained from blunt-force trauma in accidents between a person and a vehicle.
Skateboarders must follow all the same rules of the road. They are required to stop at stop signs and lights and yield to vehicles when necessary.
They must also yield to pedestrians who are walking in a crosswalk. They are not to impede the flow of traffic or interfere with it in any way.
The California Highway Patrol is still investigating the accident. They do not think that drugs or alcohol were a factor in the accident.