Teen on skateboard hit by car, suffers major injuries

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- An 18-year-old male riding a skateboard was struck by a vehicle in Richmond. The driver of the car was arrested for driving under the influence and the skateboarder was taken to John Muir Hospital with head injuries.

It happened Tuesday afternoon in the Tara Hills area of Contra Costa County. The crash was reported at 2:25 p.m. at Mahan Way and Flannery Road, a suburban area just north of Richmond.

The teen suffered a head injury and was bleeding badly after being hit by a Toyota Camry, according to the CHP.

The teen is believed to be the victim in this accident, but neighbors say skateboarders and car drivers, alike, are making that same crossing a very dangerous intersection.

"His head impacted the windshield, totally cracked the windshield... And at that point he was just on the ground and bleeding," witness Kisha Brown said.

Brown says the 18-year-old wasn't wearing a helmet when he rolled down Mahan Way, past a yield sign and into the path of an oncoming car.

The 44-year-old driver, Trung Nguyen of Pinole, was arrested for DUI, but neighbors say skateboarders and drivers, alike, ignore the traffic signs designed to protect pedestrians, and students walking to Tara Hills Elementary School.

Neighbor Kristen Bryant says the speed limit is 25 mph, but cars easily go 40 mph.

Neighbor Kara Wilson said she has seen kids at the intersection that have had to jump back, run across the street and cars that have screeched their tires to stop.

Residents believe a four-way stop at a nearby intersection would slow traffic, but they add its hard to get serious attention and representation in their location because they live in unincorporated Contra Costa County.

Bay City news contributed to this report.