UPDATED: REDDING: Friends and family remember 16-year-old killed in dirt bike accident

REDDING — Friends and family members of a 16-year-old Redding resident are mourning the teen’s death, after the boy died Friday afternoon, Nov. 10, when an off-road motorcycle he was riding crashed into another dirt bike ridden by another teenager.

The deadly accident happened on private property off Old 44 Drive near Stillwater Road/Yuki Yama Lane in an unincorporated area east of Redding, according to sheriff and coroner officials.

The Shasta County Coroner’s Office later identified Tyler Skeete as the teen killed in the tragic accident.

“He was deeply loved by all and will be remembered by friends as a kind-hearted, genuine person,” Stephen Campbell wrote for a gofundme account established to help create a scholarship in the boy’s memory. “He went through every day with a smile on his face and had a lasting and profound impact on everyone around him.”

California Highway Patrol, firefighters and other emergency first responders rushed to the scene of the fatal accident about 1:30 p.m., after a person called 911 to report the collision.

When fire and rescue personnel arrived officials learned Skeete was not breathing and others at the scene were performing CPR on him. Skeete was reportedly revived before medics transported him and the unidentified teenage girl to Mercy Medical Center where he later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead by hospital staff.

No information about the other young victim’s injuries was immediately available.

“The decedent suffered serious injuries when the off-road motorcycle he was operating collided with another motorcyclist,” Shasta County Chief Deputy Coroner Lieutenant Randall explained after identifying Skeete as the person killed in the crash. “The decedent was transported to the Emergency Room, but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the hospital.”

According to his family the teenager, who has been described as a friend to all and an enemy to none, was a straight A student and avid tennis player who competed with the Sun Oaks Tennis and Fitness Club at Redding Gym.

One of Skeete’s goals was to obtain a tennis/academic scholarship to attend a D1 university and he dreamed of one day working with handicapped children.

Skeete’s family wants his joy, positive outlook on life and strong morals and values to carry on through a scholarship the family plans on creating in his memory.

“A true friend to all, a loving brother and son, a positive role model for his friends and a shining light for everyone, Tyler was never negative and when he spoke, positive energy filled the room,” said Campbell.

Just one day after the gofundme account was established, the fundraiser had already raised $7,670 of the page’s stated $10,000 goal. Anyone wishing to donate is encouraged to visit the family’s gofundme page.

The accident is being investigated by California Highway Patrol and their investigation is active and ongoing.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.