WOODS CROSS, Utah — From Bountiful to American Fork, and anywhere outside or in between, a tight-knit group of skateboarders can be found in each community. One of those communities is now coming together after a father was struck while riding.
“The community is very inclusive," said Kamron Atwood. "Everybody is welcome.”
"There’s so many locals who want to get together and help each other out in times of need,” added Travis Hoki.
In the blink of an eye, things took an 180-degree turn for Woods Cross skateboarder last week when Austin Johnson, who was in a crosswalk, was hit by a juvenile driver, according to police.
“Austin’s a young guy, he’s got a life in him, a lot of drive, a lot of passion," shared Hoki. "To see him be taken out like that with a truck is just devastating, and I really hope he can get back up on his feet.”
After breaking his femur, along with several other injuries, Johnson is looking at a long road before he can skate again.
“It’s a tragedy because he has small children, he’s raising a family and they’re all going to have to deal with this," said Atwood. "Austin organizes and holds and supports a lot of local events, so it’s going to be hard on the skateboard community as well.”
Following the accident, the hope of Johnson's community of friends is to bring awareness to skateboarder safety.
“It’s just important for drivers to be looking out for skaters, pedestrians, people on bikes, blades or whatever it is,” explained Hoki.
“For pedestrians that are on the road, it’s important to not trust anybody," added Atwood. "Make sure you look both ways before you cross, and realize that you’re vulnerable and the vehicle is going to win.”
As Austin takes a break from shredding for a while, local skateboarders like Hoki will keep riding the concrete waves to support their friend.
“Skaters are just passing along the message and helping each other out.”
