Update, 10:30 am: Berkeley police report that the injured skateboarder is an 18-year old man who is in “grave condition.” Since he is an adult, he is not required to wear a helmet while skateboarding. Berkeley police are still investigating to determine who is at fault in the accident, the driver or the skateboarder, according to Sgt. Mary Kusmiss. The victim’s name will not be released for privacy reasons.
Update, 5:01 pm The driver of the car was a 54-year old Berkeley man who was driving east on Marin and turned northbound onto Tulare, according to police. The skateboarder, who is also from Berkeley, was traveling westbound on Marin when the two collided. Alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the 7:05 pm accident, said Sgt. Kusmiss.
Original story: Berkeley police rushed to the intersection of Marin and Tulare Avenues Monday night to assist a skateboarder who had been hit by a car.
Berkeley Police Lt. Randolph Files could not release many details of the accident Monday night, but confirmed there had been a collision and officers were on the scene. The victim had been transported to the emergency room, he said.
“Skateboarder hit by car just a few minutes ago on Marin Ave and Tulare,” a reader wrote Berkeleyside at 7:16 pm. “It must have just happened before I came by. 911 was being called. The skateboard was still stuck under the car wheel. The person injured looked like a teenager, male, dressed in a dark jacket and dark pants. Luckily the fire truck was so close by and arrived quickly from the station. That’s all I know. Terrible. The kid wasn’t moving.”
“FYI — bad accident occurred on Marin Ave tonight,” another reader said in an email to Berkeleyside. “Looks like Prius hit a skateboarder. I drove by around 8pm. And police were everywhere. Looked bad :((”
Matthew Winkelstein, a Berkeley architect, came upon the accident on his way to the grocery store, he told Albany Patch. He described the victim as a young male, around 13 to 15. He was bleeding profusely from the head, breathing but unresponsive.
“I tried to help him, holding his arm and saying, ‘You’re going to be OK,’” said Winkelstein. “He seemed to be fading more than coming around.”
The Prius’ windshield was cracked from the impact, Winkelstein told Patch.
