Bend teen skateboarder being towed in parking garage seriously injured in fall

Police say girl, 17, was being towed to top of city's parking structure

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A 17-year-old Bend skateboarder was seriously injured Monday when she lost her grip on a car's side mirror and fell while being towed to the top of the city's downtown parking garage, police said.

Police were called around 11:15 a.m. to the reported injury at the Centennial Parking Plaza at 61 NW Oregon Avenue, Lt. Juli McConkey said.

She said the 17-year-old skateboarder was holding onto the driver's-side mirror of a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta, which was being driven by another 17-year-old girl.

"It isn't known at this point why," McConkey said in a news release, "but the skateboarder lost her grip from the Jetta and was injured from the fall."

The initial investigation found the teen was not struck by the car that was towing her, the lieutenant said.

The girl was not wearing a helmet at the time, McConkey added. She was taken by Bend Fire & Rescue medics to St. Charles Bend with serious injuries.

Access to the parking structure was closed for about 40 minutes as Bend Fire medics tended to the skateboarder and the investigation began.

No citations have been issued as the investigation continues, the lieutenant said.