A 20-year-old skateboarder named Tanner Hart died after a late night skitching accident involving a golf cart, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office.
According to reports, the incident happened shortly after midnight on Saturday on Island Parkway East in the Lake Tapps area. Deputies responded to the scene around 12:11 a.m. and found a large group of people gathered nearby after the crash.
Officials said several parties were taking place in the area, and between 10 and 20 witnesses saw what happened.
Investigators said the man was riding a skateboard while holding onto a moving golf cart, a practice commonly known as skitching. Witnesses told deputies the golf cart was traveling at a fairly high speed before the skateboarder let go.
As he continued rolling forward, his skateboard reportedly caught the golf cart's tire, throwing him violently onto the roadway.
The impact caused a severe head injury. Emergency crews responded to help, but the skater was later pronounced dead. Authorities said he was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
Deputy Carly Cappetto of the Pierce County Sheriff's Office said investigators do not believe any criminal activity was involved.
"It appears that this was a very tragic accident," Cappetto said, adding that there is no criminal component to the case at this time.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office had not publicly released the official cause of death as of Monday.
Following the news, the Sumner High School football program shared a message remembering the young man, who previously played for the team until 2024.
"Our hearts are broken," the program wrote on X. "Once a Spartan, always a Spartan. Forever a brother."
The fatal skitching accident was one of several serious incidents deputies responded to during the holiday weekend.
Officials also investigated a travel trailer fire near Roy that claimed the lives of two brothers, along with two family dogs. According to authorities, the victims' parents were away when the fire broke out.
Deputies were also called to Puyallup after a man allegedly threatened neighbors with a pipe bomb and an assault rifle. Police took the suspect into custody, and the explosive device was safely destroyed without anyone being injured.
The investigation into the skateboarder's death remains ongoing, although authorities continue to describe the incident as a tragic accident rather than a criminal case.