Teen, father-to-be, in coma after skateboarding accident in St. Augustine

A St. Augustine teen is fighting for his life after a skateboarding injury that left him in a coma.

Tyler Clevenger, 19, suffered a critical injury when he fell on his head Saturday.

“You fall and hit your head, this is concrete. It’s no joke, you hit your head on this, you’re injured,” said Clevenger's aunt Kristie Van Lieu.

Van Lieu said this message comes after her nephew, Clevenger, hit his head on the cement while skateboarding Saturday night. He was not wearing a helmet.

On Wednesday, family and friends met at the same St. Augustine skate park where the accident happened, praying for a speedy recovery for Clevenger. The family paused to deliver a warning to other skateboarders.

“It’s very important to wear a helmet. As you can see tonight, there are some still not wearing a helmet,” said Lisa Silcott-Clevenger, another one of Clevinger's aunts.

His family showed photos of Clevenger, who's still in ICU, but his family said he’s improving.

“His brain injury is very bad, to where the pressure, if it gets too high, it’s not good. They woke him up, a bit out of sedation, and it was good. He had a little bit of a response. He actually squeezed our hands when we said to, so he hears us,” said Silcott-Clevenger.

It's progress and his aunt said hopefully it will continue, especially since Clevenger just found out two days before the accident that he will be a daddy. Family said that’s reason enough for him to survive.

“I believe right now, he has a good chance to surviving. It’ll be a long road,” said Silcott-Clevenger.

“He loved skateboarding. Him and his cousin Dalton, both, they love it,” said Van Lieu.

Friends say the St. Augustine Police Department hands out helmets for free.

Cox Media Group