A skiing accident has claimed the life of C.R. Johnson, according to The Associated Press.
The report says that Johnson, 26, was skiing with friends at Squaw Valley in California when he tried to steer through a "very, very tight, rocky area" on a run that was for experts only. Various reports indicate that he fell several hundred feet. He reportedly hit the back of his head on rocks, and although he was wearing a helmet, emergency workers were not able to revive Johnson.
Born Oct. 8, 1983, Johnson was a winner of the 2002 US Open in the big air competition, and he's won several X Games medals. He suffered a serious injury in 2005 when fellow skier Kye Peterson collided with him. He suffered a Coup contrecoup injury, which forced him into a medically induced coma for 10 days. He then had to relearn his motor skills.
"My doctors cleared me to ski," he said in an interview in April of 2006. "I can ski, and I can ski at full capacity, I just can’t take the risk of falling. I’m not taking jumps and skiing lines. I can ski at full speed and full strength, but I just can’t take risks."
