A 44-year-old skateboarder died Monday night in a hospital after falling and injuring his head a few days earlier in Kaneohe.
The Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Eric Pierce.
After falling and injuring his head at 5:30 a.m. Saturday, Pierce was taken to the Queen’s Medical Center in critical condition. The city Emergency Medical Service Department said Pierce, who was not wearing a helmet, was skateboarding down a steep hill at Makamae Street near Lilipuna Road when he fell.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine cause of death.
Police classified the case as an unattended death, pending the outcome of the autopsy.
It was a third skateboarding fatality this year.
On Aug. 20, Alan Danielson, a recent graduate of Castle High School, was being pulled by a car at about 2:30 a.m. when he lost control of his skateboard and fell, striking his head on pavement at 45-557 Apapane St., according to Honolulu police. The 18-year-old Kaneohe man, who died in the accident, was not wearing a helmet.
Police have initiated a criminal investigation into the accident.
Robert Towne, Honolulu Police Department’s traffic spokesman, said the skateboarder had been hanging onto the passenger side of a car driven by an 18-year-old man, who was a neighbor and friend. The accident is classified as a possible negligent homicide involving the driver of the car.
On April 17, Reid Krucky, 16, was killed while riding a skateboard. He was being towed by a moped, lost his balance, fell and hit his head on the pavement on Kalanipuu Street, police said. Krucky was not wearing a helmet.
In May 2011, Kameron Steinhoff, 21, died in a skateboarding accident in Kaneohe. He was not wearing a helmet.
The Hawaii Pacific University basketball player died of head injuries sustained when the skateboard he was riding struck a parked car, the city Medical Examiner’s Office said.
The City Council has been studying a bill that would require people under 16 years old to wear helmets if they want to ride skateboards, roller skates, in-line skates or similar devices.
