Teen running onto highway after his skateboard hit by truck, critically injured



KENT, Wash. -- A teenage boy was hit by a semi after running onto a highway to retrieve a skateboard Thursday. He suffered critical head injuries, State Patrol troopers said.

Troopers were called Thursday afternoon to SR 516 (Kent Des Moines Road) and Meeker Street.

The 15-year-old was rushed to Seattle's Harborview Medical Center.

Troopers said the teen lost his skateboard as he rode down the shoulder of the highway and it ended up going into lanes of traffic.

That’s when they say the teen decided to run onto the highway to get it, but as he ran back to the side of the road, the semi-trailer hit him.

Troopers said the truck driver saw the teen and tried to slow down, but they believe the truck was still traveling about 30 mph when it hit the teen, throwing him about 15 to 20 feet down the road.

“We’re estimating at this time he did everything he possibly could to try and avoid this 15-year-old, even to the point of almost going onto the shoulder, and this kid kept running right in between his headlights, unfortunately,” said Cliff Pratt, with Washington State Patrol.

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One eastbound lane of SR 516 was blocked during the investigation.

WSP said it is legal for people to walk along the shoulder of SR 516, because it’s wide enough.

As of Thursday afternoon, troopers were trying to locate the teen’s parents because the address on his identification card was old.