LAKELAND – It’s sad news, again. This time FLSK8 learned another kid died what he loved doing most, skateboarding. This post is not meant to scare, only remind all of us to think before doing stupid things. It’s sad but for $100 skateboard, this FL skater lost his life. Devyn Rainey was only 16 when he succumbed to injuries after chasing his skateboard on a busy highway in Florida.
Here is the article as it appeared in a local Lakeland Newspaper.
A junior at George Jenkins High School was struck and killed by a vehicle this afternoon when his skateboard rolled into an intersection and he tried to get it.
About 5 p.m., Devyn Rainey, 16, was standing on a curb at South Florida Avenue and Schoolhouse Road in Lakeland when his skateboard rolled into the southbound lanes of South Florida, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
When he went into the road to get the skateboard, he went into the path of a 2005 Ford E-150 Econoline van driven by Douglas Heruska, 58. Heruska had a green light at the intersection.
Devyn, of 745 Wilmington Pass, Apt. 201, of Lakeland, died instantly, the sheriff’s office said. Heruska, of 80 Country Club Lane in Mulberry, immediately stopped and attempted to render aid, along with several other bystanders and witnesses.
Both roads are closed until about 9 p.m. this evening, so the sheriff’s office recommends motorists find another route through the area.
http://tbo.com/news/crime/teenager-struck-by-van-dies-chasing-skateboard-in-lakeland-20140113/