Top skater dies after crash
In-line skating and freestyle skiing champion Richard Taylor has died after colliding with a lamp-post near his home.
Taylor, 23, from Barry in south Wales, fractured his skull and broke his legs in the accident on Tuesday (August 3rd, 2004).
He died on Sunday in the intensive care unit at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.
His family have said that they hope that his organs can be used to help others.
"Richard died this morning at 09:20, after he did not wake up from a coma," said a spokesman from the hospital.
"He strongly supported organ donation and his family are responding to his wishes for his organs to be donated and hope that his passing away will be of benefit to others."
Taylor had been skating with friends just yards from his home when he crashed into the concrete post.
His father John Taylor said that at the time of the crash, Taylor had not been wearing a helmet and that safety equipment had been a constant discussion between them.
Taylor had started skating because he wanted to be a stuntman he added.
His father said he had been recovering from a dislocated knee when the accident happened.
It is thought that it was this injury that contributed to the accident.
Last month he won the UK National In-Line skating championships for the second year in a row.
Taylor, who turned professional when he was 15, has also travelled around Europe, America and Australia putting on shows for thousands of teenage fans.
And he had turned to freestyle skiing as well.
Taylor had competed in the British Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding Championships in Les Deux Alpes in March and won the big air ski title.