Mar 18, 2008
Beware Of Skitchers!

I wonder if these guys just watched Julien Stranger's part in 1-800-Skypager...

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A dangerous stunt called skitching is gaining popularity among teens, and it has Albuquerque police concerned.

In skitching, a skateboarder holds onto a moving car, riding it down the street for a distance.

The danger is when the car's motion changes.

"I've done it once," said skateboarder D.J. Burton. "They stopped and all of a sudden I hit my head on the door."

While Burton said he's learned his lesson, Albuquerque police are concerned other kids may not.

"It's just a matter of time when someone is literally testing fate with this kind of display of stupidity," said police spokesperson John Walsh.

In 2003, it turned deadly for a 21-year-old man in Albuquerque, and other young people around the country have been killed by it.

Part of the popularity of the stunt has come from the MTV show "Jackass," where daredevils attempted the stunt.

But another part of it is from online video-sharing sites like YouTube and MySpace Video.

"Many times the motivation is shock," Walsh said. "They'll post this up on YouTube, MySpace; it's just the shock value."

Walsh said that skateboarders or drivers caught skitching could be cited with a misdemeanor traffic citation, which could carry jail time. But another consequence could be far worse.

"This will cause harm - harm to yourself and others," Walsh said. "It isn't until a tragedy occurs that people get the message."

KRQE | Reporter: Addie Knowlton | Web Producer: Todd Dukart