Skaters Death in Houston...from bridge...

[skategeezer]

[Old Guy]

Wow - the word "skateboard" or its derivatives occurs ten times in an article about a death that obviously had no direct connection to skateboarding. The article even states that Lee Powers fell to his death while skateboarding while describing a scenario in which skateboarding could not possibly have contributed to his death. It seems that even journalists, who are supposed to report only factual, relevant information, assume that if a skateboard is seen anywhere near a tragedy it must somehow be the cause.

[WillJ]

Wow - the word "skateboard" or its derivatives occurs ten times in an article about a death that obviously had no direct connection to skateboarding. The article even states that Lee Powers fell to his death while skateboarding while describing a scenario in which skateboarding could not possibly have contributed to his death. It seems that even journalists, who are supposed to report only factual, relevant information, assume that if a skateboard is seen anywhere near a tragedy it must somehow be the cause.

careless journalism at best it's distracting from a very suspicious death

[RothToAnExtent]

That... is an odd way to die. No disrespect to him. But ya, it's just so odd for someone to die in such a peculiar way on a place called HAZARD bridge of all names.

MY best guess would be since he was at a party, it was probably some sort of drunken shenanigan gone horribly wrong.

[AFTT]

"Skateboarder dies in completely unrelated accident!"

[crossi]

sounds eerily similar, to the way a local biker died here in richmond, va. And by biker i mean, bicycle, there's a huge crew in richmond, who like to drink pbr, play bike joust, and weld bikes together to make double deckers and ####. Well, he left a local party, very drunk, and started riding his bike home, where he went to cross this bridge, and ended up falling over the side, which has a 4 foot fence, to keep one from doing such things, he feel onto some train tracks, where he lay there dead or unconcious, and was then run over by the train. There was a bike path on the side of the bridge that had a rail or fence on both sides, and some blood was found on the path of the bridge, i think what the cops ended up assuming happened, was he wrecked his bike, and hit his head, which either disorientated him or gave him a concussion, and in his confusion, he thought he was climbing the rail to get off the road and back onto the path, and in actuality he climbed the rail over the side of the bridge, and fell over. He was a very nice kid, and everyone in richmond, at least knew of the guy. Another reason, I have started wearing my helmet, just about everytime i skate.

[endzone_bob]

"Skateboarder dies in completely unrelated accident!"

+1...journalism fail.

[CasterTown]

Yeah, why did they even bring up skateboarding at all. If he played soccer it would have made just as little sense for them to say "soccer player's death.... friends say he was playing soccer the night before the accident."

wtf?

[seabass101dg]

I'm sorry to hear this and I sympathize with his family, but I feel like this was either some drunken escapades or even suicide.

[Pat S]

I dunno.... Sounds like he was skating a spot on the bridge and bailed somehow and ended up over the railing, 4 feet isn't that high.

I can't remember what video it was, but I remember seeing some pro skater skating this gnarly barrier directly 50 feet over a busy intestate. If he went over the barrier he was gauranteed dead.

the article does say the bridge was a popular skate spot...

[CasterTown]

I dunno.... Sounds like he was skating a spot on the bridge and bailed somehow and ended up over the railing, 4 feet isn't that high.

I can't remember what video it was, but I remember seeing some pro skater skating this gnarly barrier directly 50 feet over a busy intestate. If he went over the barrier he was gauranteed dead.

the article does say the bridge was a popular skate spot...

It says its not a skate spot.

[WillJ]

I dunno.... Sounds like he was skating a spot on the bridge and bailed somehow and ended up over the railing, 4 feet isn't that high.

the fence is closer to 6' actually and would be very difficult/next to impossible to just 'fall over'. It's a heavily used pedestrian walkway over the interstate. He had to climb over or get thrown over.

here's a small pic (that's about a 10' lightpost next to it)

[Blaximus]

Yeah, it really sucks. It's crazy because A) I know where that bridge is at B) was at the SAME block party C) how that try to attribute skateboard as part of why this young man died that night. In my opinion, I don't think skateboarding had anything to do with it, other than they found the skateboard up on the bridge. I mean, for all we know, he was just using it as a mode of transportation that evening. You have to think about what kind of person he was aside from skateboard, good or bad, and what kind of mental state he was in, ya know? Not saying the kid was crazy or anything, but you have explore aspects of the victims life. I don't know, I'm just tired of having me inbox blow up with articles about this kids death, and people say "that could've been you". I mean, yeah it could've, but sober or drunk, I would never climb over a fence on a bridge hanging over a 10 lane express way.

Just some thoughts that've been floating in my head since this happened.

[scottycarve]

I know this area well. The fence in question is not four or five feet its easy 7 feet and then arches away from the freeway. You would have to climb it and it would not be an easy climb. Sounds like he was doing something screwy.

[shorncliffe longboarder]

i sympathise with family and hope they get better soon
they have clearly taken the skateboard bit way too far but everyone should pause and think a moment about this dude dieing.

[Blaximus]

I found this on Facebook this morning.

Login | Facebook

Check it out if you're in town.

[Cann0n]

That's why those bridges have fences...

[clayton]

Wow, obviously he either A)Was thrown over. B)Jumped over (was drunk probably) or C)Committed Suicide. These investigators suck, even I'm better than them at their job.

[Dimm]

It seems that even journalists, who are supposed to report only factual, relevant information,

HAH! Journalists reporting only factual, relevant information? I don't know what alternate universe you're from but in ours responsible journalism is not a norm.

[stonephone]

Skateboarder's death leaves many questions

By PEGGY O'HARE Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

Nov. 17, 2009, 12:17AM



1 2

Peggy O'hare ALL

A skateboard bearing his name is among the mementos left at the Hazard Street bridge over the Southwest Freeway, where Lee Milton Powers III, 19, fell to his death Saturday.


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The father of a young Houston man who fell to his death Saturday while skateboarding on a bridge over the Southwest Freeway has many questions about his son's demise, including who — if anyone — was with him that night.
Lee Milton Powers III, 19, somehow went over a 4- to 5-foot tall chain link fence while skateboarding on the Hazard Street bridge and fell below to the Southwest Freeway, where he was struck by an 18-wheeler around 8 p.m. Saturday. Houston police could provide no explanation for how Powers' death occurred and are still looking for witnesses.
His cause and manner of death had not yet been announced by the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office Monday night.
Lee Milton Powers Jr., 54, said a social worker told him no one was found on the bridge. He said he has not yet spoken with police investigators.
“From what I understand, when he went over the bridge, he hit the windshield of the truck, then he fell to the pavement,” the father said. “There's no way somebody could accidentally fall over because there's a big fence on both sides of the bridge ... We were looking to see if there was an open hole (in the fence), but it appeared to be intact.”
The younger Powers attended a block party Saturday night, then left with friends to go skateboarding, party attendees told his father. The teen skated on the Hazard Street bridge because it was within walking distance of his apartment in the 1600 block of Castle Court.
After he fell and was hit by the 18-wheeler, paramedics and police found only one skateboard on the Hazard Street bridge above, Powers' father said.
“Whether it was his, I don't know,” Lee Powers Jr. said.
The victim was carrying no identification. His father said he learned of his son's death when a social worker at Ben Taub General Hospital looked in his son's cellular phone, found a phone number listed under “Dad,” and called him.
A Houston Police Department Vehicular Crimes lieutenant attached his business card in a plastic bag to the chain link fence Monday, asking witnesses to call with any information about Powers' death.
No one answered the door at the apartment Powers shared with his roommate Monday night.
Powers, who graduated from Yates High School last year, began skateboarding in the eighth grade while living in Brenham. He was part of the Tipping Point Skate Team in 2008, according to his Facebook page.
After finishing high school in Houston, he enrolled in several classes at Texas Southern University, but decided he didn't want to attend college anymore, his father said. He had worked fast-food jobs and was trying to find another job.
Skateboarding enthusiasts said the Hazard Street bridge is not known as a skateboarding “hot spot” or an “extreme skateboarding” site that attracts skaters for its challenges.
Anyone with information about Powers' death is asked to call HPD Lt. Kenneth Campbell at 713-247-8213.
peggy.ohare@chron.com

Actually i knew him personally, went to highschool with him in brenham, and i'm pretty sure he was ####ed up up. case closed.