23-Year-Old Snowboarder Dies After 'Freak Accident' at Ski Resort

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SoCalians hit the slopes over the holiday weekend, and one amateur snowboarder's attempt at shredding the snow proved fatal.

Angelique De Leon, a 23-year-old Riverside resident, fell on a run on Sunday at Mountain High ski resort in Wrightwood. Authorities, who are reportedly calling the incident a "freak accident," told L.A Now that De Leon was wearing at helmet at the time of the accident.

While braving a run that she had already successfully snowboarded several times that day with friends, De Leon fell forward at about 4pm. “It was a head-over-heels fall, and she sustained internal injuries,” said Deputy Jeff Lewison of the San Bernardino county coroner’s office. “It just somehow hit wrong.” Mountain High spokeswoman Kim Hermon noted that De Leon "didn't hit an obstacle or anything like that."

De Leon was transported to San Bernardino Community Hospital and pronounced dead at 5:25pm.

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By Lauren Lloyd in News on November 28, 2011 11:30 AM 0 Comments

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The Race Card

Horrible.

Heads up for new boarders. LA does not have real powder. That means that some of that hardpack upon which you ride is actually harder than the asphalt roads you took to get there. It is VERY EASY to catch a rail or slide out or get pitched face-first at speed. Pain is the least of your worries when you smack your head on the ice.

Think helmets make you look goofy? Think about how you would look with a permanent brain injury.

natums

Not to discredit your point, but he was wearing a helmet when he crashed. My guess the combination of whiplash and impact cause the internal injury, whiplash is the biggest risk for anyone w/ or w/o a helmet.