Skateboarder Critically Injured In Long Beach Hit-And-Run

LONG BEACH, CA – A man on a skateboard was critically injured Tuesday afternoon in a hit-and-run collision in Long Beach.

Officers were dispatched about 1:45 p.m. to the intersection of Bellflower Boulevard and 27th Street, where they found the victim down in the roadway, according to Long Beach Police Department spokeswoman Nancy Pratt.

The man, whose name was not released, was in critical condition when taken to a hospital, she said.

"Based on the preliminary investigation, it was determined the pedestrian was riding a skateboard and attempting to cross eastbound Bellflower Boulevard at 27th Street when he was struck by a vehicle that fled southbound on Bellflower Boulevard," Pratt said.

The intersection was closed until about 4 p.m.

Investigators were working to obtain a description of the hit-and-run vehicle and its driver. In the meantime, they want to speak to anyone who was in a dark-colored, older-model SUV that Pratt described as a "witness vehicle."

Anyone who witnessed or has information regarding the collision was urged to call Collision Investigation Detective Steve Fox at (562) 570-7110. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers by calling (800) 222-TIPS or at lacrimestoppers.org.

City News Service; Image via Shutterstock