St. Paul: Skateboarder who died in accident was sober but 'adventurous,' dad says

By Mara Gottfried / St. Paul Pioneer Press Gunnar Miller's parents used to fear their son would be taken from them too soon, but not the way it happened. The 19-year-old man died Tuesday night after a skateboarding accident in St. Paul. Miller had been sober for 14 months and was looking forward to his future, said Marc Miller, his father. But when Gunnar Miller was using alcohol and drugs, Marc and Anne Miller had worried they could kill him. "It's hard to say there's a blessing with this whole event, but if there's a blessing it's that he was completely sober, he was just being a very adventurous kid," Marc Miller said Wednesday. St. Paul police spokesman Sgt. Paul Paulos called the case a tragic accident and warned of the dangers of "skitching" -- the act of a skateboarder holding onto a moving car. Gunnar Miller had been skateboarding in the Merriam Park area while holding onto the side mirror of a car of a friend who was driving. Miller let go of the mirror, traveled a short distance, fell and hit his head on the street, Paulos said. Since he was very young, Gunnar Miller had been an adventure-seeker, interested in skateboarding, snowboarding, rollerblading -- "an X Games kind of person," his father said, referring to the extreme sports event. Marc Miller said he had never seen his son skitching before and thought it had been a spontaneous act. "Just a poor choice," he said Wednesday. Police were called to the accident at Carroll and Prior avenues about 1 p.m. Tuesday. They found Miller on the ground with a severe head injury, Paulos said. He was not wearing a helmet. St. Paul Fire Department paramedics transported Miller to Regions Hospital, where he died Tuesday night, Paulos said. The 23-year-old man driving the car was on the scene of the accident and cooperative with officers, Paulos said. Police checked and found he had no alcohol in his system. He was not ticketed. The driver told police that he had been at a stop sign when he saw Miller, a friend of his. Miller asked if he could go skitching on his car, Paulos said. "Please be careful," Paulos said. "I know things on TV, YouTube and stuff are very exciting, but it also can turn dangerous, and that's what happened in this instance." People of a certain generation may be familiar with skitching from the scene of Michael J. Fox in "Back to the Future" hitching a ride with a makeshift skateboard on the back of a vehicle. A similar wintertime phenomenon, which Paulos said is also dangerous, is "hookie bobbing" -- a person holds on to a vehicle and slides along the snow or ice on the street. In Tuesday's case, Paulos said the driver hadn't traveled far when Miller let go. The driver told police he was going slowly, and police are investigating his speed. Miller grew up in Eagan with his parents and older brother, Hunter. He was not wearing a helmet. St. Paul Fire Department paramedics transported Miller to Regions Hospital, where he died Tuesday night, Paulos said. The 23-year-old man driving the car was on the scene of the accident and cooperative with officers, Paulos said. Police checked and found he had no alcohol in his system. He was not ticketed. The driver told police that he had been at a stop sign when he saw Miller, a friend of his. Miller asked if he could go skitching on his car, Paulos said. "Please be careful," Paulos said. "I know things on TV, YouTube and stuff are very exciting, but it also can turn dangerous, and that's what happened in this instance." People of a certain generation may be familiar with skitching from the scene of Michael J. Fox in "Back to the Future" hitching a ride with a makeshift skateboard on the back of a vehicle. A similar wintertime phenomenon, which Paulos said is also dangerous, is "hookie bobbing" -- a person holds on to a vehicle and slides along the snow or ice on the street. In Tuesday's case, Paulos said the driver hadn't traveled far when Miller let go. The driver told police he was going slowly, and police are investigating his speed. Miller grew up in Eagan with his parents and older brother, Hunter.
By Mara Gottfried / St. Paul Pioneer PressGunnar Miller's parents used to fear their son would be taken from them too soon, but not the way it happened.The 19-year-old man died Tuesday night after a skateboarding accident in St. Paul.Miller had been sober for 14 months and was looking forward to his future, said Marc Miller, his father. But when Gunnar Miller was using alcohol and drugs, Marc and Anne Miller had worried they could kill him."It's hard to say there's a blessing with this whole event, but if there's a blessing it's that he was completely sober, he was just being a very adventurous kid," Marc Miller said Wednesday.St. Paul police spokesman Sgt. Paul Paulos called the case a tragic accident and warned of the dangers of "skitching" -- the act of a skateboarder holding onto a moving car.Gunnar Miller had been skateboarding in the Merriam Park area while holding onto the side mirror of a car of a friend who was driving. Miller let go of the mirror, traveled a short distance, fell and hit his head on the street, Paulos said.Since he was very young, Gunnar Miller had been an adventure-seeker, interested in skateboarding, snowboarding, rollerblading -- "an X Games kind of person," his father said, referring to the extreme sports event.Marc Miller said he had never seen his son skitching before and thought it had been a spontaneous act."Just a poor choice," he said Wednesday.Police were called to the accident at Carroll and Prior avenues about 1 p.m. Tuesday. They found Miller on the ground with a severe head injury, Paulos said.He was not wearing a helmet.St. Paul Fire Department paramedics transported Miller to Regions Hospital, where he died Tuesday night, Paulos said.The 23-year-old man driving the car was on the scene of the accident and cooperative with officers, Paulos said. Police checked and found he had no alcohol in his system. He was not ticketed.The driver told police that he had been at a stop sign when he saw Miller, a friend of his. Miller asked if he could go skitching on his car, Paulos said."Please be careful," Paulos said. "I know things on TV, YouTube and stuff are very exciting, but it also can turn dangerous, and that's what happened in this instance."People of a certain generation may be familiar with skitching from the scene of Michael J. Fox in "Back to the Future" hitching a ride with a makeshift skateboard on the back of a vehicle. A similar wintertime phenomenon, which Paulos said is also dangerous, is "hookie bobbing" -- a person holds on to a vehicle and slides along the snow or ice on the street.In Tuesday's case, Paulos said the driver hadn't traveled far when Miller let go. The driver told police he was going slowly, and police are investigating his speed.Miller grew up in Eagan with his parents and older brother, Hunter.He was not wearing a helmet.St. Paul Fire Department paramedics transported Miller to Regions Hospital, where he died Tuesday night, Paulos said.The 23-year-old man driving the car was on the scene of the accident and cooperative with officers, Paulos said. Police checked and found he had no alcohol in his system. He was not ticketed.The driver told police that he had been at a stop sign when he saw Miller, a friend of his. Miller asked if he could go skitching on his car, Paulos said."Please be careful," Paulos said. "I know things on TV, YouTube and stuff are very exciting, but it also can turn dangerous, and that's what happened in this instance."People of a certain generation may be familiar with skitching from the scene of Michael J. Fox in "Back to the Future" hitching a ride with a makeshift skateboard on the back of a vehicle. A similar wintertime phenomenon, which Paulos said is also dangerous, is "hookie bobbing" -- a person holds on to a vehicle and slides along the snow or ice on the street.In Tuesday's case, Paulos said the driver hadn't traveled far when Miller let go. The driver told police he was going slowly, and police are investigating his speed.Miller grew up in Eagan with his parents and older brother, Hunter.