Cops hunt speedy skateboarder - Vehicular weirdness - MSNBC.com
Quote:
BERLIN - Police are trying to track down a man filmed riding a skateboard down a steep stretch of highway at 62 mph, far above the speed limit.
The man who raced down southern Germany's Ulm-Stuttgart highway for two miles before he stopped and fled is believed to be a professional stuntman, Goeppingen police spokesman Uli Stoeckle said.
A video of the skateboarder, broadcast on German television networks on Wednesday, showed a helmeted figure wearing a red and white protective suit building up speed by holding onto the back of a motorcycle before letting go and freewheeling.
"We put out an all-points bulletin and have received information that gives us useful clues to who the man may be," Stoeckle said. "We are particularly concerned about copycats who may imitate the stunt, putting their lives at risk."
The film clips show several cars escorting the skateboarder, enabling his collaborators to record the event. The clips have since surfaced on Internet websites.
'Substantial fine'
The German magazine Stern said the mystery man is known in skateboarding circles as a professional stuntman and takes part in international downhill skateboarding competitions.
Stoeckle said the man faces charges for interfering with traffic safety and endangering motorists, and would lose his driver's license and face a "substantial fine." He denied media reports the skateboarder would face a one-year jail sentence.
There are no speed limits on German highways but there are restrictions on many sections, especially steep and dangerous stretches. The section the skateboarder was using has an 50 mph speed limit.
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Just from the headline, it kind of sounded like fun until I thought about the last time I skateboarded and fell over trying to kick while moving. I also broke the board during an attempted ollie, so I'm not going to be trying this anytime soon.
Seems like he deserves a fine for it, but I'm not sure about jail time and I really don't see how they can justify revoking his license unless they're assuming he would do dumb shit like this in a car. Being somewhat of a thrill seeker myself, I can say pretty confidently that he knew he could get in serious trouble doing this and is enjoying being "on the run."
and I'd be an asshole if I didn't include the video