Tyler De Martini, an 18-year-old former student at El Cerrito High who when he was hit by a car on Marin Avenue while skateboarding, died at 4:10 p.m. today at Highland Hospital, according to Berkeley police.

"Members of BPD (Berkeley Police Department) extend their condolences to the DeMartini family," police Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said in a news update.

Friends and family members of De Martini had been at his hospital bedside as the young man lay in a coma since the accident Monday night when he was hit by a car while riding his skateboard on Marin Avenue. 

A number of friends began saying their good-byes earlier in the day, following a report that tests for brain activity came back negative. Friend Laila Fawzi wrote on Twitter at about 2 p.m.: "I will never forget you.... I love you so much."

De Martini was skateboarding west down Marin Avenue about 7 p.m. Monday night when he was hit by a Prius going eastbound on Marin that was turning left onto Tulare Avenue, Berkeley police said. He was not wearing a helmet and had an obvious head injury, according to police and witness accounts.

The driver stopped immediately and was "very upset by the incident," Sgt. Kusmiss said. Alcohol was not a factor in the collision, she said.

Kusmiss added additional news with some reluctance:

"Although difficult to share, the BPD preliminary collision investigation has determined the PCF - Primary Collision Factor as 'a pedestrian in the roadway.' Skateboarders are considered pedestrians in the CA Vehicle Code. Pedestrian on Roadway CVC 21956.  (a) No pedestrian may walk upon any roadway outside of a business or residence district otherwise than close to his or her left-hand edge of the roadway."

Earlier today, Albany mom Amanda Azevedo said her daughter went to Highland Hospital to see Tyler. She shared, on Facebook, that her daughter called her crying at about 2:30 p.m., saying Tyler "passed away before they got there." 

Janet Scaglione, mother of one of De Martini's friend Gabe, wrote via email to Albany Patch that a number of kids were at the hospital writing notes to Tyler. 

Azevedo said her daughter went to Highland "with a few close friends; they're all still together. I told her she could be with them for a while, to talk and cry and be together."

Gabe Scaglione said De Martini was doing independent study this year. He was a junior last year at El Cerrito High.

His death is the second tragedy affected students from the high school in the past week. Early Sunday morning, senior Jeremy Crowder, an honor-roll student and member of the football team, was in Richmond.

De Martini was also the second East Bay young man to die from a head injury caused by a skateboarding accident in the past week. On Sunday, Tucker Hacking, 20, of Walnut Creek suffered a head injury Friday after falling on a steep stretch of Juanita Drive in Saranap on the border of Lafayette and Walnut Creek, just south of Highway 24. Hacking was taken to Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek, fell into a coma and then died on Sunday, the Contra Costa County coroner's office reported.

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