Teen Skateboarder in Critical Condition

Jonathan Delgado, 18, is listed in critical condition at Morristown Memorial Hospital after crashing off a skateboard on Unger Avenue Wednesday afternoon.

Delgado, who moved to Hopatcong in October, wasn't wearing a helmet. A New Jersey law says riders 17 years old and younger are required to wear a helmet; Delgado didn't violate this law.

A group of boys dared the 18-year-old, an inexperienced skateboarder, to ride down a steep road, according to residents interviewed by Hopatcong Patch.

Residents said the Unger Avenue section is known as "Suicide Hill" for its drastic incline.

Resident Michelle Costanza made the 911 call and said police and ambulances responded within 10 minutes. Police said the man was driven to Veteran's Field, where he was picked up by a helicopter and transported to Morristown.

Costanza said she heard screams from her house and saw children surrounding the man, who was lying facedown on the roadside with his feet toward the street.

"There was a tremendous amount of blood coming out of him," Costanza said.

Constanza said it appeared the man went into convulsions as she called authorities.

"It was really terrible," she said.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly said Delgado wasn't from Hopatcong.