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Friday, April 25, 2008

Skateboarder Dies in U-District

posted by on April 25 at 9:00 AM

udistrict-accident-scene1.jpg

A skateboarder was hit by a bus late last night/early this morning in the U-District and killed. A reader who witnessed the scene took the picture above and writes…

At around 1:20am this morning, a UW student was struck and killed by a Metro bus while riding his skateboard through the intersection at 45th and University Way. A witness at the scene told me that the man, a white male in his 20’s, skated through a red light and was struck by the bus. He died at the scene.

UPDATE: As folks are pointing out in comments, the skateboarder hit the bus, not the other way around. Would’ve gotten this up sooner but I stepped away from my desk for a bit.

Another Slog reader that witnessed the aftermath writes something turgid… after the jump.

A man died in the U-District tonight. His body fell at the intersection of University Way and 45th St. The unofficial center of the University neighborhood. A crushed longboard sat nearby, but no official explanation was given for the man’s fate. Police tape encircled the intersection while the man’s body lay almost perfectly in the center. The scattered explanations thrown out by bystanders seemed to involve a bus, but nothing was clear. A bald youth physically tried to force a young woman, presumably his girlfriend, to gaze upon the man’s body. His motives were unknown, but distasteful.

This death at the center of this neighborhood seemed especially abhorrent for the public display, but the reaction from the neighborhood was coming from all points of the emotional spectrum. As I moved north, away from the horror covered in yellow plastic, all conversation was of the fallen man and what could have happened to bring about his fall. Ribald or sympathetic, we all felt the death in our midst.

RSS icon Comments

1

It was his fault.

Posted by Mr. Poe | April 25, 2008 9:10 AM
2

Oddly, since it was a boarder I doubt anyone will be found at fault. The police will chalk it up to "oh well".

Posted by Andrew | April 25, 2008 9:10 AM
3

A description that overwrought is more about you and your love of your own writing than the poor dead guy.

Posted by elenchos | April 25, 2008 9:17 AM
4

longboarders are not skaeboarders. they are like the hippie cousin that moved to arcaida or santa cruz to study poli sci.

Posted by Bellevue Ave | April 25, 2008 9:19 AM
5

elenchos nails it @ 3

Posted by right on | April 25, 2008 9:21 AM
6

"A bald youth physically tried to force a young woman, presumably his girlfriend, to gaze upon the man’s body. His motives were unknown, but distasteful."

Jesus that's rather awful.

Posted by Giffy | April 25, 2008 9:21 AM
7

Okay, the guy ran a red light: I did not know that part of the story: Yeah it sucks he died but he was at fault.

Posted by Andrew | April 25, 2008 9:23 AM
8

@ 3 & 5
and thats why we read.

Posted by nothing here to see | April 25, 2008 9:23 AM
9

Wow! Talk about abhorrent and distasteful... That's some of the worst writing I've read since my high school yearbook.

Posted by Are you sure the author isn't already on staff? | April 25, 2008 9:26 AM
10

Throw in something about Marx, Hegel, and/or the surrounding architecture, and you've got Charles Mudede!

In all seriousness, this is tragic. Note to local skaters: best to err on the side of caution when it comes to jaywalking in front of buses!

Posted by Hernandez | April 25, 2008 9:30 AM
11

I didn't know there was an American Apparel in the U-District?

Posted by yeah | April 25, 2008 9:31 AM
12

Longboarding doesn't count as skateboarding - that is reserved for the Sublime listening, pukka shell wearin trustafarians.

Posted by bobcat | April 25, 2008 9:37 AM
13

As a skateboarder, I agree with Bellevue. Longboarders are a different breed entirely. You can't even ollie a curb on them things. Skaters don't longboard, and longboarders don't skate. Also, I have been hit by a car while skateboarding 3 times. 2 of which were not my fault. Its not nearly as bad as on a bike although being thrown is always scary... It is also harder to stop on a longboard, you can't really drag your tail. All you can do is bail out. Sadly, the vehicle will win every time. Those last paragraphs were a tragedy in themselves, adding nothing to the story. What are they doing in this post at all?

Posted by ZWBush | April 25, 2008 9:39 AM
14

It's important to note that the skateboarder ran into the bus which makes the first sentence of this post a bit irresponsible.

Posted by El Seven | April 25, 2008 9:43 AM
15

I'm not sure if it had anything to do with the accident, but, technically, all skateboards are fixies.

Posted by Mahtli69 | April 25, 2008 9:43 AM
16

It's important to note that the skateboarder ran into the bus which makes the first sentence of this post a bit irresponsible.

Posted by El Seven | April 25, 2008 9:43 AM
17

The Seattle Times reports that the boarder hit the bus before the bus hit the boarder.

Posted by umvue | April 25, 2008 9:45 AM
18

Why no outrage? Neither reporter mentioned if the skateboarder was wearing a helmet. Gosh, perhaps we need 4 slog posts calling these reporters out on their hackery.

Posted by Hey! | April 25, 2008 9:48 AM
19

I expect the usual suspects at Slog to call for an immediate ban on all Metro buses. (You know who you are Aurora Bridge Fencers...) Even if it prevents one person from losing their life by skating into one, it will be worth it.

Posted by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me | April 25, 2008 9:51 AM
20

No brakes, right?

Seems like it's dumb and negligent just to be riding in traffic with no brakes whether on a skateboard, a longboard, whatever.

Posted by unPC | April 25, 2008 9:52 AM
21

Darwin.

Posted by DOUG. | April 25, 2008 9:57 AM
22

@15 Fuck you. And fuck fixies, they are in no way similar. Fixies are for hipsters with ironic mustaches.

Posted by Bag | April 25, 2008 9:58 AM
23

No fear, the guy would have voted for Nader anyway

Posted by Thinning the Herd | April 25, 2008 9:58 AM
24

http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/today_in_everything_ever

I blame youtube.
My mind is even more warped after seeing a moped rider's remains under an 18 wheeler. Like road kill. *gag*

Posted by oopswrongthread | April 25, 2008 9:58 AM
25

@17

Well we know what this makes Jonah: A stupid fucking credulous hack.

Posted by Mr. Poe | April 25, 2008 9:58 AM
26

Hey wrote:

Why no outrage? Neither reporter mentioned if the skateboarder was wearing a helmet. Gosh, perhaps we need 4 slog posts calling these reporters out on their hackery.

Neither "reporter" is a member of the mainstream print media -- who pride themselves on their supposed objectivity and who frequently wave said objectivity as example of their superiority over bloggers and alternative media.

Posted by Phil M | April 25, 2008 9:59 AM
27
Posted by longboarding sucks | April 25, 2008 10:06 AM
28

Note:

At this same intersection, 6 years ago this month, a skateboarder murdered a car driver. Things tends to even out on the Ave over time.

Posted by stinkbug | April 25, 2008 10:12 AM
29

well I messed up that link:

2006 skateboarder murder thing at 45th/Ave:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/66957_skateboard18.shtml

Posted by stinkbug | April 25, 2008 10:14 AM
30

ugh, and I meant 2002, not 2006. I'll shut up now. sorry.

Posted by stinkbug | April 25, 2008 10:15 AM
31

I am deeply ashamed that I find this thread so hilariously funny.

Posted by Big Sven | April 25, 2008 10:22 AM
32

Only Kooks hate on people for what they do for fun. I skateboard and I think it's cool when I see people longboard. Granted, it's not as dope looking as skateboarding. Also, fuck the kooks that hate on not wearing helmets. Why don't you wear a helmet when you walk? Way more people get killed by buses while walking than skateboarding!

Posted by Stacks | April 25, 2008 10:26 AM
33

stinkbug, that wasn't a skateboard. It was a tweaker who happened to have one.

If you beat someone with a golf club, does that make you a golfer?

Posted by bobcat | April 25, 2008 10:26 AM
34

It would read funnier if he'd run into the SLUT.

Posted by NapoleonXIV | April 25, 2008 10:37 AM
35

@31 you should. people dying and the long lasting effect it has on their families is sooo funny. just ask your mom.

Posted by cochise. | April 25, 2008 10:40 AM
36

bobcat: it was a guy on a skateboard riding down the Ave. a "skateboarder" is someone who rides a skateboard. what does him being a tweaker have to do with that?

Posted by stinkbug | April 25, 2008 10:40 AM
37

Now now, let's not confuse skateboarders with longboarders. Skateboarders are the scum of the Earth with their constant fucking ollie-ing, and should be culled at any opportunity. The death of a longboarder is a tragic event, the quiet, sleek and majestic creatures they are.

Posted by Tdub | April 25, 2008 10:41 AM
38

i'm suprised this hasn't happened earlier. how many times have i seen skate/longboarders sailing down the ave with no regard to traffic.

Posted by Jiberish | April 25, 2008 10:43 AM
39

There is little more elegant than a doosh on a longboard having to pick his stick up in order to step up onto a curb.

Posted by haha tdub | April 25, 2008 10:47 AM
40

Tragic indeed... Regardless of whether the guy was a longboarding hippie or whatever. But, there are many people who do not know how to ride or even bail safely on longboards. I've seen many a longboarder ALMOST get killed because they didn't even know how to stop or "fall right". By "fall right" I mean to safely get the fuck off before getting slammed into by a car or bus... This guy went through a red light... By the photo, it looks like he was "bombing" down the ave. and could not or did not know how to stop... Any good skate boarder knows how to do that... Longboarding or "asphalt surfing" is not a skilled endeavor like skateboarding is... Condolences to his family. If you are going to ride your longboard on the street, you'd better know what you're doing... Or switch to something like frisbee golf...

Posted by Rick KLU | April 25, 2008 10:54 AM
41

@32... why do you hate on people who are just having fun hating on people? you are so intolerant! it's okay, though, because i love people who hate and people who don't hate. good job!

Posted by infrequent | April 25, 2008 10:54 AM
42

@ 22 relax! i'm pretty sure that was a dig at erica barnett, not skateboarding culture

Posted by bridget | April 25, 2008 10:55 AM
43

Good point about longboarding. Next time, don't run a red ...

Posted by Will in Seattle | April 25, 2008 11:00 AM
44

Jonah, you know I'm not a hater, but you gotta change the "A skateboarder was hit by a bus" line if you don't have a report stating as such. Not sayin' you should use the Times as your source, either. Just asking you to be responsible, as a fellow friendly Slog reader.

Posted by mackro mackro | April 25, 2008 11:01 AM
45

Poe @25 do you mean Dan is a credulous hack? Jonah didn't write it; Dan did.

Posted by huh? | April 25, 2008 11:03 AM
46

Whoops. I would never call Dan a credulous hack, not even if the moment called for it. I take it back, and will save it for the next time it can be used for Jonah.

Poop in my face.

Posted by Mr. Poe | April 25, 2008 11:13 AM
47

Slog commenters: mocking the wounded and the dead since 2006.

Posted by Gurldoggie | April 25, 2008 11:22 AM
48

I'd mock your death, Gurldoggie. I'm still waiting for a car to hit you, Ms. I'm-okay-with-running-red-lights. It will be fucking hilarious. I'll throw a party and invite your friends (if you have any).

Posted by Mr. Poe | April 25, 2008 11:32 AM
49

and only hours prior to the accident the slog had posted a pointless video of pople getting hit by buses! way to go slog!

Posted by joe | April 25, 2008 11:32 AM
50

And I am waiting for you to be gay bashed by the cops! Funny stuff!

Posted by Gurldoggie | April 25, 2008 11:40 AM
51

Slog posts pointless videos, then people die.....

Coincidence? I think NOT!

Posted by NapoleonXIV | April 25, 2008 11:43 AM
52

@50

A) Most cops, and people, will hardly know I'm gay right off the bat. I think I'll be fine.

B) I stand a better chance of living through being gay bashed than you do with running red lights. I've been told you're chunky, so you might have a chance at living, but let us not hope for the worst.

Posted by Mr. Poe | April 25, 2008 11:50 AM
53

@52

Is that a challenge? You taunt the cops and I run red lights? You're on! First one to die loses!

Posted by Gurldoggie | April 25, 2008 11:53 AM
54

Come on now, Mr. Poe will never be gay bashed. For that to happen he would have to get off the internet for five minutes.

Posted by Jeff | April 25, 2008 11:56 AM
55

Poe@52, I'm totally not siding with Gurldoggie, and I hope you take this as a complement, but people can tell you're gay from low earth orbit.

cochise35, I wasn't laughing at the guy who died. I'm laughing at the people who can morph that into a rip on poor writing, skateboarding, fixies, etc.

Posted by Big Sven | April 25, 2008 11:59 AM
56

gurldoggie is notorious for being the type of cunt that brings everything down to the mentality of a teenager.

Posted by Bellevue Ave | April 25, 2008 12:02 PM
57

I've been going to school with this kid since the 6th grade. We had classes together, lunches together, his voice is still one of the most memorable things from high school. He was funny, he was never a dick, he respected people and I respected him. We were never really friends or anything, but this hurts. This sucks. He won't be forgotten...

Posted by a friend | April 25, 2008 12:05 PM
58

@12: Sublime, puka shells and trustfunds? You're either misinformed or willfully ignorant. I longboard, I know many people who longboard, and none of us fit that description in the least.

This is very sad, but it sounds entirely like the boarder's fault. If he didn't know how to control himself, he shouldn't have been on the street.

Posted by Aislinn | April 25, 2008 12:05 PM
59

Drunk Mr. Poe and sober Mr. Poe are two completely different Mr. Poe's.

@53

But I don't taunt cops. You regularly run red lights (like you've stated). Your logic reeks of diarrhea.

Posted by Mr. Poe | April 25, 2008 12:05 PM
60

Okay.

Now, I'm laughing.

Posted by NapoleonXIV | April 25, 2008 12:05 PM
61

His hat sat about 15 feet away from his body, while the pool of blood was at least five feet in diameter.

His head looked like a crushed watermelon. And as the paramedics walked away from the body before police covered it, they were shaking their heads.

Posted by clarkj | April 25, 2008 12:06 PM
62

Aislinn, you do fit the definition of hippie longboarder. anyone that is a vegetarian and doesnt believe in credit would be 50% on their way to full blown hippiedom. acceptance to prominent lesbian liberal northeast college? 65%!

Posted by Bellevue Ave | April 25, 2008 12:08 PM
63

Slog is not a good place to come for solace and reflection.

That said, I'll clarify that I'm now laughing at #55.

Posted by NapoleonXIV | April 25, 2008 12:13 PM
64

replace the turgid thing w/ clarkj's description at 61.

Posted by jao | April 25, 2008 12:20 PM
65

@55 sorry, my bad.

Posted by cochise. | April 25, 2008 12:23 PM
66

Obey traffic signals! They serve a purpose, and as this boarder tragically learned, some mistakes can't be undone.

Posted by Gomez | April 25, 2008 12:55 PM
67

@58 - a good longboard source is Derf Boards, Aislinn.

Check em out.

Posted by Will in Seattle | April 25, 2008 1:09 PM
68

@62: Oh fuck you. It was Wellesley; not all women's colleges are "lesbian" colleges. And I was waitlisted, not accepted: thanks for bringing up what was arguably the worst thing to ever happen to me.

Just because I'm a vegetarian and I think credit is BS does not make me a hippie. Longboarding doesn't make me a hippie, either. I'm not a fucking hippie.

@64: After that I thought clarkj did write the turgid thing. It's all terrible and not relevant to the poor kid who died. I'm more interested in what "a friend" @57 had to say and the actual facts than exaggerated accounts from self-important bystanders.

Posted by Aislinn | April 25, 2008 1:13 PM
69

Hissssssssssssssssssss!!! GRRRRRR~!!!

Posted by Mr. Poe | April 25, 2008 1:19 PM
70

The denial of a hippiedom is paramount to being a hippie! 70% the way there!

Posted by Bellevue Ave | April 25, 2008 1:25 PM
71

I bet if the ancient Egyptians had been white instead of black you would be willing to believe they could have had helicopters.

Posted by elenchos | April 25, 2008 1:40 PM
72

Hey!

Posted by elenchos | April 25, 2008 1:43 PM
73

Why are there so many douche bags that read the stranger. Not to say that the Stranger isn't an awesome newspaper, but I would definitely say that the scum of the earth read this paper. (probably because it free and they can't afford the P.I. He died stpp talking about how long boarders suck because that matters.

Posted by Wil | April 25, 2008 2:15 PM
74

You know what, I drive a bus (metro) and I say that's what he gets. People are always taking stupid risks with busses. Out of the gene pool, I say.

Posted by GhettoBus | April 25, 2008 2:27 PM
75
He died stpp talking about how long boarders suck because that matters.

We know it matters. That's why we're talking about it. Dumbass.

Posted by Mr. Poe | April 25, 2008 2:29 PM
76

Damn! A few minutes difference and maybe the bombast who wrote that turgid-as-fuck description would have been hit by the bus instead.

Posted by meh | April 25, 2008 2:41 PM
77

10 bucks says he had an ipod on (with Sublime blasting) and was coming back from the Immigrant.

Posted by bobcat | April 25, 2008 3:22 PM
78

bobcat: you owe us $10. he was not on his way from the Immigrant.

Posted by stinkbug | April 25, 2008 3:29 PM
79

I've been reading Slog for months now and posting for the last few weeks and sure the level of discourse sometimes deginerates into vitriol, spite and tasteless humor.

But what is even more amazing to me is that people with different ideas and beliefs are willing to post their thoughts and defend their positions, and just generally engage in discourse about some of the major issues affecting us locally and globally right now.

Do we change each other's minds? I have to think that sometimes we do. But even if we don't I think it is cool that we still care enough to try.

Douchebags? Sure, we're all guilty of being douchebags about some things. But I think a lot of the Sloggers have also proven to be thoughtful and compassionate.

And, if you disagree with me you can suck my non-existent cock.

Posted by PopTart | April 25, 2008 3:39 PM
80

My condolences to the family and friends of this guy. I usually bike up the Ave every day on my way to the gym from work. I think I'll be taking a different route today to avoid the corner of 45th NE and the Ave out of respect for this guy.

Posted by apres_moi | April 25, 2008 4:11 PM
81

I will say though that I've seen a number of skateboaders bike downhill on the Ave and go through red lights w/o even looking.

Posted by apres_moi | April 25, 2008 4:15 PM
82

Agreed that longboarders are a whole different breed from skateboarders.

Longboarders are cool.

Posted by i don't love the 80s | April 25, 2008 10:51 PM
83

Seattle sucks now. Frat Chads wearing sandals riding longboards getting love from the "alternative weekly?"

Where did everyone cool move--Portland?

whattup bobcat

Posted by dukey del | April 26, 2008 9:55 AM
84

The things you learn in Slog comments!

Longboards are for wannabe hippies with a death wish.

Skateboards, on the other hand, might as well be Saabs, complete with their engineered front crumple zones, safety restraints, and multiple airbags.

How anybody could confuse the two is a complete mystery.

Posted by oneway | April 26, 2008 10:05 AM
85

oneway:
It's not so much that skateboards are safer (although I'd claim they are, slightly), it's that longboards attract Chads like this frat kid. Inherent wackness combined with big gummy fast wheels (oh: and bus) equals dead Future Douchebag Lawyer. Oh well. What did you think was going to happen, Chad?

Posted by dukey del | April 26, 2008 10:39 AM
86

I always thought that when you got hit by a bus skateboarding unicorns would fly out of your arse. It could still happen, I mean, this guy wasn't really skateboarding.

Posted by sane | April 28, 2008 6:33 PM
87

I have seen him right after the fact, and left the scene because my presence was neither needed nor approriate.

I will not describe what I saw. However, I think he hit the bus, not the other way around.

RIP young man.

Posted by Aldo Compagnoni | April 29, 2008 4:02 PM
88

As a downhill skateboarder who races longboards(if you wanna call em that) I can only say - survival of the fittest. If you're gonna buy a Sector 9 and ride in your flip flops down 45th from your frat house, I hope you and your ugly style hit a fuckin bus. A big thank you to this young man for fucking me over the next time the cops pull me over for bombing hills while wearing a helmet on a non-busy road. Douche monger. I feel sorry for his parents that their child was a complete fuck.

Posted by mommy | May 1, 2008 8:45 PM

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