Pasco father shoved from skateboard fighting for his life

Sean McClintock was heading to a barbecue with his family when he asked his wife to pull the car over so he could cruise down one of his favorite Pasco hills on his longboard.

His wife Alex continued on to the get-together and waited for her husband with the couple’s 11-month-old daughter. But Sean never showed up for the cook-out, said Justeen Halliday, a close friend of the McClintocks.

Police say the 25-year-old Pasco man was longboarding down the Road 44 hill Saturday night near Riverhill Drive when he had a confrontation with a passing white car, possibly a newer four-door sedan. A longboard is similar to a skateboard, only much longer.

A witness reported the driver honked at Sean, then a passenger reached out and yanked on Sean’s shirt, causing him to fall.

“(Alex) came into our house, gave us the baby and said she was going to look for Sean,” said Halliday, who was hosting the barbecue. “She came back and was hysterical. She said, ‘Sean is hurt really bad, there’s a lot of blood and the ambulance isn’t letting me see him.’ ”

The witness called 911 and stayed with Sean, who was barely conscious and bleeding, Halliday said. Medics rushed the injured man to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland.

Sean suffered several skull fractures and blood clots in his brain from the fall, Halliday said. Doctors performed surgery in which a section of Sean’s skull was removed.

Sean was put into a medically-induced coma and is in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

A Monday post to a GoFundMe page set up for Sean indicated he had moved his arms and legs, but was still sedated.

“We just don’t really know what the outcome is at this point,” said Halliday, who noted friends and family are optimistic Sean will survive.

Sean, who is originally from Plymouth, is taking pre-chiropractic classes at Columbia Basin College. He is a stay-at-home dad who loves being with this daughter, Rian, Halliday said. Halliday referred to her friend as “Mr. Mom.”

Friends and family set up the GoFundMe account to help support the McClintock family as Sean fights for his life. The account had already reached more than $7,000 of a $20,000 goal by early Monday night.

More than 70 donations, ranging from $20 to $1,000, have poured in, some with positive messages and prayers.

“We just don’t want (Alex) to have to stress out over bills or what she has to do with Rian,” Halliday said.

Police say detectives are working on the case, though no suspect information or additional vehicle description have been released.

Halliday said friends and family want to get word out about the incident to ensure that those responsible for injuring Sean realize the damage and pain that has been inflicted.

“Everybody is devastated. This was supposed to be a fun, simple barbecue that went terribly wrong,” she said. “It is something you just don’t expect to happen.”

This story was originally published September 14, 2015 at 9:26 PM with the headline "Pasco father shoved from skateboard fighting for his life."