When it meets tonight, Capitola City Council will be discussing the rules for skateboarding and bicycling within Capitola Village. Behind the discussion is an accident that occurred earlier this month. A local 17-year-old came barreling down the Cliff Drive hill in the direction of the Stockton Avenue bridge at 20 miles per hour, just as Maryanne Slettehaugh, 83, was crossing the street. Though the teen jumped off the skateboard, he still flew into Sletterhaugh, who was knocked down and killed.
When it meets tonight, Capitola City Council will be discussing the rules for skateboarding and bicycling within Capitola Village. Behind the discussion is an accident.html that occurred earlier this month. A local 17-year-old came barreling down the Cliff Drive hill in the direction of the Stockton Avenue bridge at 20 miles per hour, just as Maryanne Slettehaugh, 83, was crossing the street. Though the teen jumped off the skateboard, he still flew into Sletterhaugh, who was knocked down and killed.
Police have not filed charges against the teen, who, they say, acted responsibly by attempting to avoid Slettehaugh and remaining with her until an ambulance arrived. They also note that while he ran a stop sign on his board, he was outside the limits where skateboarding is banned. Nevertheless, City Council wonders whether more could have been done to avoid such an accident.
Suggestions include increased signage, an expansion of the no-skateboarding zone, and reconfiguring the crosswalks and sidewalks in the Village. Some have suggested adding more signs to ensure that people obey the local ordinance.
Mayor Dennis Norton and Police Chief Mike Card agree, however, that the most important step is education. While local police give regular presentations on skateboard safety to students at the New Brighton Middle School and the Capitola Junior Guards, they have increased the number of presentations since the accident first occurred.
Then there is the possibility of creating a skateboarding park for that side of town. As one local enthusiast pointed out, the reason kids skateboard on the streets is that there is nowhere else for them to go locally, unless they make the trek to Jose Park. The law, they say, will be easier to enforce when there are viable local alternatives. Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
