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51 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, March 12, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 7, 2005 Crash with car kills Ashland skateboarder By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune ASHLAND — A 21-year-old Ashland skateboarder died Sunday from injuries he suffered when he struck a taxi at Siskiyou Boulevard near South Mountain Avenue, according to Ashland police. Evan Burke was airlifted to Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, suffering from head trauma from the 2 a.m. accident. He was pronounced dead at 8:10 p.m. "This is the first fatality we’ve had of a skateboarder versus a vehicle," said Ashland Police Sgt. Kirk Cromwell. Police are waiting for a medical examiner’s report to determine if drugs or alcohol played any part in the accident. Burke was not wearing a required helmet, said Cromwell. Advertisement Burke, who was on the 2004 dean’s list at Southern Oregon University, majoring in art, was riding south on Mountain with a friend approaching the intersection at Siskiyou. The friend, James Janousek, 21, of Ashland, told police he stopped at the intersection to look for vehicle traffic, saw the taxi and tried to warn Burke. He told police that Burke tried to negotiate the right-hand turn onto Siskiyou, attempting to go into the bike lane, but the momentum carried him into the path of the taxi, driven by William Roy Huson, 50, of Talent. Burke struck the right front quarter of the Yellow Cab. Cromwell said there is no evidence of criminal action against the taxi driver. "At this point, the driver appears to be without blame," he said. Cromwell said that when he arrived at the scene the taxi had been pulled over to the side of the road and Burke was lying on the ground, being looked after by Lori Hewitt, 23, of Medford. Hewitt was one of four passengers in the cab. Burke was unconscious, said Cromwell, but didn’t have any obvious injuries. "A lot of times the injuries are internal," he said. Burke was first taken to Rogue Valley Medical Center, then transferred to OHSU. Cromwell said it is not unusual for cyclists, pedestrians or skateboarders to be traveling the streets of Ashland late at night. However, like bicycle riders, skateboarders are required to have a light in the front and a reflector in back of the skateboard, which Burke didn’t have, Cromwell said. Also, skateboarders are not allowed on streets where the speed limit exceeds 25 mph. At Siskiyou near South Mountain the speed limit is 30. "It makes you think that we all need to abide by the rules of the road," said Cromwell. "It is unfortunate it has to be pointed out by a tragic accident like this." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress Advertisement s