Andreaus T. Matthews, 16, dies in skateboarding accident on June 29 on Northeast 172nd Avenue

A 16-year-old skateboarder was struck by a vehicle and killed Sunday night in the Hockinson area. The crash, reported about 10:30 p.m., happened in the 14100 block of Northeast 172nd Avenue. The teen was identified as Andreaus T. Matthews, also known as Jackson. Matthews was skateboarding in the roadway when he was struck by a 1995 Nissan Maxima. The Nissan then left the road and hit a tree. Both the driver and passenger were transported to an area hospital for examination. They were identified as driver Landon D. Stewart, 18, of Battle Ground, and passenger Paige J. Bong, 19, of Kalama. Matthews was wearing dark-colored clothing and there are no street lights in the area. Stewart, the driver of the Nissan, is cooperating with authorities and did not appear to be impaired, according to a sheriff's news release. It is always tragic when a young person is killed in a collision. Skateboarding accidents are similar to pedestrian accidents in that the skateboarder is incredibly vulnerable to the force of a crash with a vehicle. Learn more about issues related to injury pedestrian accidents here.