Woman, 83, dies after being struck by skateboarder

**Curt James** · 07-09-2011, 11:49 AM

Woman, 83, dies after being struck by skateboarder

July 7th, 2011

An 83-year-old Northern California woman has died after being hit by a skateboarder moving at 15 to 20 miles an hour, police said.

Maryann Slettehaugh was crossing a street in Capitola, California, Tuesday afternoon when she was struck by a 17-year-old boy, Capitola police Sgt. Andrew Dally told CNN affiliate KSBW-TV.

Dally said the skateboarder, who was traveling down a steep hill, jumped off the board and tried to avoid colliding with Slettehaugh but was unable to, according to KSBW. He stayed with the injured woman after the collision.

Slettehaugh was in a crosswalk and a panel truck had stopped to let her pass, according to media reports.

Slettehaugh was airlifted to a San Jose hospital, where she was pronounced dead, CNN affiliate KION-TV reported.

The teen has not been charged in the incident, but detectives are investigating, Capitola police Detective Marquis Booth told CNN.

Booth said municipal code prohibits skateboarding the Capitola Village commercial district where the accident occurred and the teen was cited for a violation.

"It just isn't a good mix when we have skateboarders," Booth said. "You can gain some pretty good speed going down that hill."

Dally told KSBW, "It was not a malicious type of act. He seemed like a pretty clean-cut and honest kid."

Slettehaugh's husband of 64 years, George Slettehaugh, told CNN affiliate KTVU-TV his wife had been hit by a skateboard 15 years ago.

"She was leery of them and tried to avoid them," George Slettehaugh said in an interview. "[She] kept watching for them all the time."

Maryann Slettehaugh was on her daily walk from her home to the beach when she was struck, according to media reports.

"It was her daily routine. She lived just two or three blocks away," Dally told KSBW.

From Woman, 83, dies after being struck by skateboarder – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs

###

Fwiw, accidents happen to people both young and old. And, as in this 2008 report, the skateboarder doesn't always "win" in these encounters:

**Curt James** · 07-09-2011, 11:57 AM

The young man mentioned above, Jesse Salisbury,died July 30, 2008. He was struck by a 22-year-old motorist.

Skateboarder, 17, struck, killed by car is ID'd

July 31, 2008
By Jack Perry

WARWICK -- Police say that 17-year-old Jesse Salisbury of West Warwick was skateboarding alongside the northbound lanes of Bald Hill Road when he was struck and killed by a car last night, according to preliminary reports from the department's traffic division.

Police Chief Col. Stephen McCartney said this morning that reports from the department's traffic division indicate that Salisbury was weaving between the breakdown lane and the right travel lane on the northbound side of Bald Hill Road about 10:15 when he was struck near the Kent County Court House.

Salisbury was hit by a 1998 blue Volkswagen driven by Jody Hawkins, 22, of Coventry, McCartney said. He said that according to investigators' reports, Hawkins was in the process of changing from the left travel lane to the right when the car hit Salisbury.

The impact caused Salisbury to land on the hood of the car and break through the windshield on the passenger's side, McCartney said.
He said that Salisbury suffered multiple blunt trauma injuries and was rushed by Warwick rescue to Rhode Island Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

At this time no charges have been filed in the accident but it is still under investigation. "At this time no serious charges are pending, but that matter is under investigation and we are looking at things such as speed and the condition of the vehicle," McCartney said.

He added that excessive speed has been ruled out as a cause of the accident.

This morning Michael Conti, 19, of West Warwick was at the accident scene to remember his friend Jesse, who he said was a classmate at West Warwick High School.

Conti said that Salisbury had a passion for skateboarding and "every time you saw (him) he was with a skateboard."

He described his friend as someone who "could always make you smile."
Conti said that friends are expected to gather at the scene tonight.

-- Journal staff writer Barbara Polichetti, with reports from projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

From Update: Skateboarder, 17, struck, killed by car is ID'd - Projo 7 to 7 News Blog | Rhode Island news | The Providence Journal

**maxpro2** · 07-09-2011, 12:37 PM

I'm very confused. The first article is dated July 7, 2011, and the second article is dated July 31, 2008. First story is from California, and the second is from Rhode Island.

**Curt James** · 07-09-2011, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by maxpro2

I'm very confused. The first article is dated July 7, 2011, and the second article is dated July 31, 2008. First story is from California, and the second is from Rhode Island.

It's a lot of text.

The current news is that an 83-year-old woman was killed in an accident as she was hit by a boy who skateboarded into her.

I threw in the other older story where a teenaged skateboarder was killed (by a motorist) just to show that skateboarders die, too.

Unrelated other than the presence of a skateboard.

**LAM** · 07-09-2011, 02:05 PM

I can definitely see it going down, can't even remember how many people I've almost hit snowboarding. stopping 250+ lbs on a snowboard is much easier said than done.

I feel so sorry for her husband, couldn't imagine what he's going through right now...

**Curt James** · 07-09-2011, 02:34 PM

^^^^ Married 64 years! Incredible.

**maxpro2** · 07-09-2011, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by Curt James

It's a lot of text.

The current news is that an 83-year-old woman was killed in an accident as she was hit by a boy who skateboarded into her.

I threw in the other older story where a teenaged skateboarder was killed (by a motorist) just to show that skateboarders die, too.

Unrelated other than the presence of a skateboard.

Gotcha! I thought you were going for some like karma-type thing---he killed her and in turn a motorcyclist killed him.

Very unfortunate accident. But it is a good reminder that our society has a lot of frail people in it and that even the smallest accident could produce great harm to others (and liability to ourselves).

My in-shape friend, age 25, was hit by a car while crossing an intersection. He was basically unhurt, other than a bit of glass cutting him. Imagine that happening to someone of the same age who wasn't so fit, or even worse, a senior citizen.

Be careful out there!

**feinburgrl** · 07-09-2011, 03:08 PM

I think what we are all thinking. We should ban all old people from going outside.

**Curt James** · 07-09-2011, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by maxpro2

Gotcha! I thought you were going for some like karma-type thing(snip)

Not karma as much as general equality. Death gets us all, right? And the video. I thought the one guy was complaining about "These damn skateboarders" and thought, "I wonder if an old person ever killed a kid on a skateboard?"

So, I guess that would have been karma-like?

karma - definition of karma by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

Originally Posted by feinburgrl

I think what we are all thinking. We should ban all old people from going outside.

lol

Or if the woman had had an escort. And one that wasn't 90, then, yeah, she might have survived. I mean if someone had seen the skateboarder coming and deflected the kid or got his attention by screaming?

**dirtwarrior** · 07-09-2011, 03:56 PM

The kid should be arrested for man slaughter

**Curt James** · 07-09-2011, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by dirtwarrior

The kid should be arrested for man slaughter

"Involuntary manslaughter is the unlawful killing of another human being without intent. The absence of the intent element is the essential difference between voluntary and involuntary manslaughter. Also in most states, involuntary manslaughter does not result from a heat of passion but from an improper use of reasonable care or skill while in the commission of a lawful act or while in the commission of an unlawful act not amounting to a felony."

More @ manslaughter legal definition of manslaughter. manslaughter synonyms by the Free Online Law Dictionary.

The news report said that skateboarding was illegal in that area?

I'm no lawyer, but this sounded like it was just bad luck, no intent, a tragedy for the husband and the boy. If the skateboarder has no record do you think they'll go for involuntary manslaughter?

And do penalties vary from state to state? According to Google, in Illinois, involuntary manslaughter is a Class 3 felony punishable by a term of not less than 3 years and not more than 14 years.

I say the kid gets probation. Again, it's a tragedy for all concerned, but I don't see them charging him with a felony unless he has a history of running down seniors.

**Captn'stabbin** · 07-09-2011, 09:55 PM

stop hating on skateboarders... BB's are just mad cause they can't do it...

**JCBourne** · 07-09-2011, 10:01 PM

Charge him? Are you serious? Have you never been on a skateboard going fast? He's a kid for crying out loud if he would have hit the lady in a car that would be a different story. Maybe if she wasn't as old she wouldn't have died. Sad yes but charge him and waste tax payer money on what was obviously a accident? Come on now...

**Curt James** · 07-09-2011, 10:03 PM

^^^^ Yeah, I can't imagine they'll charge him.

Originally Posted by Captn'stabbin

stop hating on skateboarders... BB's are just mad cause they can't do it...

Murderous lot.

**Fit_Qtie** · 07-10-2011, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by Curt James

^^^^ Married 64 years! Incredible.

Wow ! That's terrible, poor husband.

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