Skater Rollerblading Across the US, Passes Away After 82-Year-Old Driver Hits Him, Leaves the Scene [WATCH]

A Norwegian man rollerblading across the United States was killed after an 82 year old woman allegedly struck him with an SUV and drove away in Kansas, cutting short an ambitious journey from New York to Los Angeles, as reported by The New York Post.

Joachim Lanham, 24, was on the 22nd day of his cross-country trip when an off-duty first responder discovered him critically injured in a roadside ditch in Salina on Sept. 5, according to the Wichita Eagle.

Salina is about 175 miles outside Kansas City. After Lanham was found, emergency personnel rushed him to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment.

He was later transferred to the intensive care unit at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. Lanham remained in a medically induced coma for six days before dying from his injuries on Sept. 11.

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Lanham’s family described the final days of his life in a post on his Instagram account. His brother stayed beside him through the ordeal, including during his final moments.

The family wrote that before Lanham died, “his brother Michael was with him holding his hand throughout the week and at the very end.”

The Saline County Sheriff’s Office said the driver came forward while officers were still investigating the scene. Authorities identified the motorist only as an 82-year-old woman.

“An 82-year-old female said she had been driving a 2013 Ford Edge SUV going west on Country Club Road,” police told KSAL.

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According to the account provided by authorities, the woman believed she had struck something and turned around to inspect the area. She reportedly did not see anything and continued home.

“She stated that she thought she hit something, turned around to check the area, but didn’t see anything, so she continued her journey home.”

Lt. Scott Trembley of the Saline County Sheriff’s Office said the woman discovered damage to her vehicle after arriving home. She then called a friend, who accompanied her back to the scene.

“She knew she struck something. She just wasn’t sure what,” Trembley told the Wichita Eagle.

The case was turned over to the Saline County Attorney’s Office. That office will determine whether the 82-year-old driver will face charges, according to the sheriff’s office.

Only 40 minutes before the crash, Lanham had spoken with his parents by phone. His family said he told them during the conversation how much long-distance rollerblading meant to him.

Lanham also posted a video on the day of the crash showing him rollerblading on the empty roads of Kansas.

His caption described the severe heat he had encountered while continuing his mission across the country.

“I’m in Kansas baby, the heatwave has been kicking my ass, I thought I knew what hot, but nothing like this,” Lanham wrote.

“My weather forecast app keeps telling me to check up on my loved ones and to seek refuge, but I’m on a mission. Mother Nature will definitely slow me down, but I will succeed.”

The journey through the United States was not Lanham’s first major rollerblading adventure. Earlier in the year, he had skated more than 3,665 miles across Australia.

His family thanked the people who had followed and encouraged him during those demanding trips. Their message reflected the support Lanham had received while sharing his travels online.

“We as his family are so thankful for all the support you have given him on his wild adventures,” the family wrote in the post directed to his followers.

The family also shared the final video Lanham recorded before the collision. It showed a butterfly flapping its wings while resting on his foot, a quiet final image from a journey that ended along a Kansas road.

The investigation now rests with county prosecutors as they review whether criminal charges are warranted. The sheriff’s office did not announce any charging decision in the account provided.

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