Sabrina Carpenter goes towing behind a truck and somehow survives. You probably won’t, so please don’t try it. Shame on you Sabrina for setting such a terrible example for today’s rolling youth. You should know better. Of all the things. . .
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Kolby Aipa, 20, the grandson of legendary Hawaiian surfboard shaper Ben Aipa has died after being hit by the car that he was towing beside while on his ebike in Huntington Beach, California on Saturday, August 2, 2025, according to as story in the Los Angeles Times.
“We are completely heartbroken,” read the statement posted to Aipa Surf. “We wanted to thank all the visitors, supporters, food deliveries, donations, flowers, cards, countless stories and photos his friends have shared with us, Drs and nurses that have taken care of our sweet boy. The H.B. community and everyone around the world have touched our hearts in an unimaginable way.
Our hearts are will the entire Aipa family. If you feel moved, please contribute to Aipa’s GoFundMe. And, please, please don’t let your friends hang on to cars while riding anything. It rarely turns out well.
[Link: Los Angeles Times]
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It’s been a while, but it seems skateboard towing deaths will never go away. The family of Liam McGuire, a 16-year-old skateboarder from Manlius, New York, won’t be the same after he hung on to the side of his best friend’s car and fell, hitting his head. He died four days later on Saturday, April 29, 2023.
Liam touched many people. Family and friends gathered Sunday at a vigil in the neighborhood to share stories about him. That’s where one woman shared how Liam spent hours teaching her to snowboard. . . Liam’s best friend was driving the car that Liam was holding on to when he fell. Liam’s family said the friend and his family stopped by the hospital several times.
Horrible reminder that skateboard towing rarely ends well. Don’t do it.
[Link: Syracuse.com]
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On Friday, September 29, 2017 Dallas Swogger, 16, of Canton, Ohio grabbed on to the side of a moving car while on his skateboard and unfortunately it ended as it so often does with skateboard towing, according to a story the Akron Beacon Journal.
Dallas, a freshman at the McKinley High School Downtown Campus, was trying to hold onto a car when he lost control of his skateboard and hit his head on the pavement.
He was taken to the hospital and four days later he died. Our thoughts are with Swogger’s family and friends.
[Link: Akron Beacon Journal]
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These are the stories we hate. On April 7, 2017 at around 7:30 PM 15-year-old Sandro McIlroy of Manhattan Beach, California grabbed onto the side of a moving Jeep while riding a skateboard, according to as story on 6ABC.com. The car was rolling at about 10 MPH and as we’ve learned accidents while skateboard towing rarely ends well.
At some point, the boy lost control of the skateboard, which caused him to hit the outer rear tire of the Jeep. He then fell, hitting his head on the roadway. . . Police and emergency personnel arrived and took the teen to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.
Our thoughts are with McIlroy’s friends and family.
[Link: 6ABC.com]
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We’ve strayed away from skateboard towing posts lately, but sadly it is still happening. Richard Oates, a 32-year-old father of two who opened East River Skate Shop last summer with his wife, died on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 after falling skateboarding while hanging on to the side of a truck, according to a story on The Gothamist.
Oates was riding his skateboard on Tuesday afternoon (January 12, 20160), gripping the passenger side of a green Mack truck as it drove west on Delancey, according to a preliminary NYPD investigation. Shortly after 1:15 p.m., Oates fell off of his skateboard and was run over by the truck’s rear passenger-side wheels. EMS responded to the corner of Norfolk Street and transported Oates to Bellevue Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Our thoughts are with Oates’ family, friends, and especially his wife Marrisa and their two young children.
[Link: Gothamist]
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Eighteen-year-old skateboarder Alexander Ciszerski died today (Thursday, September 26, 2013) in Queens, New York after the 2005 GMC box truck he was towing along side ran over him after he fell, according to a story in the New York Post.
Ciszewski . . . rode his skateboard up to a white 2005 GMC box truck around 11 a.m. and grabbed the passenger side of door as the vehicle headed east on 47th Avenue near 33rd Street in Sunnyside, cops said. . . Suddenly, Ciszewski lost control and fell under the back wheels of the truck, police sources said.
Anyone who has grabbed on to a car while skateboarding knows how quickly things can go wrong (click here for more examples). Our thoughts are with Ciszerski’s family and friends.
[Link: NY Post]
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Jonah King, a 16-year-old longboarder from Rowan County, North Carolina died from head injuries sustained after skateboard towing, according to a story on WSOTV.com.
King was riding his longboard, which is a bigger version of a skateboard, on Timberlane Trail in Salisbury when he fell and hit his head. . . Police said he was being pulled behind a car when he fell. Investigators said King was doing what is known as “towing” or “skidding,” which is when a skateboarder grabs the side of a vehicle and is towed up hills.
King was not wearing a helmet and had, earlier in the evening, been caught on tape illegally buying beer at a mini market. Authorities are awaiting toxicology results. Our thoughts are with King’s family and friends.
[Link: WSOTV]
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Lachlan Burgess, a 17-year-old Australian skateboarder is now dead after falling while skateboard towing behind his friend’s car in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales on Monday, January 16, 2012, according to a story on News.com.au.
Police said Lachy fell from his skateboard about halfway down Plunkett Drive, impacting heavily with the road. He suffered major head injuries and sadly died at the scene.
According to The Border Mail several of Burgess’ friends phone were confiscated by police because the crash may have been caught on video. Burgess’ friend who was driving the car has been charged with “manslaughter and dangerous driving occasioning death.” Another sad reminder.
[Link: News.com.au and Border Mail]
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A 24-year-old skateboarder from Lethbridge, Alberta died Friday, September 16, 2011, from injuries he sustained while towing on his skateboard behind a Toyota 4-Runner, according to a story in the Calgary Herald.
The SUV was traveling northbound on Red Crow Blvd. West when one skateboarder lost his grip and hit the pavement, after 7 p.m. . . “The safest thing that could’ve been done was not to grab onto the vehicle while riding a skateboard,” Ballman said. “I think there still would’ve been injuries or possibly worse, even if the individual had been wearing safety equipment. “
Happens all the time, but skateboarders just don’t seem to care.
[Link: Calgary Herald]
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