Two collisions involving skateboards and cars raise safety concerns

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – There are safety concerns after a skateboarder died and another was left seriously hurt in the Coachella Valley on Friday in separate collisions.

News Channel 3 reported that the two incidents happened Friday night, just after 6:00 p.m., with the fatal collision in Desert Hot Springs and the other in La Quinta, which left the skateboarder in critical condition.

Sgt. Cory Carranza, a detective sergeant and member of Desert Hot Springs Police Department's Major Accident Investigation Team, said traffic collisions involving pedestrians – whether on foot, riding bicycles, or skateboards – happen commonly throughout the Coachella Valley.

"Unfortunately, in Desert Hot Springs, and as in most of the Coachella Valley cities, we do see a high volume of vehicle versus pedestrian traffic collisions," Carranza said.

The family of the young man killed in Desert Hot Springs has created a GoFundMe, which you can find by clicking here.

We're speaking with local skateboarders and officials on safety following those two crashes. Stay with KESQ for the latest.