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By Rich Coleman, Jackie Valley (contact) 
Published Monday, April 18, 2011 | 9:29 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, April 19, 2011 | 9:36 a.m.
Matthew Galvin
Map
A 20-year-old man who fell from the hood of a moving car while apparently "car surfing" Monday night in North Las Vegas has died.
The Clark County Coroner's Office identified him this morning as North Las Vegas resident Matthew Galvin. The coroner hasn't determined his cause of death.
Police spokeswoman Chrissie Coon said University Medical Center notified authorities at 3 a.m. of Galvin's death.
The victim's 17-year-old brother, who was driving the 1988 Ford Bronco during the incident, could face charges pending the outcome of the investigation, Coon said.
The incident occurred about 9 p.m. in the 400 block of Violetta Avenue, which is southwest of the intersection of Centennial Parkway and Commerce Street. Police said Galvin suffered significant head trauma.
A 15-year-old girl was also in the vehicle when the incident happened. Police said the vehicle was traveling at 10 to 15 mph when Galvin fell from the hood.
Authorities don't believe alcohol or drugs contributed to the incident.
“Kids don’t realize how dangerous it really is to stand on top of a moving vehicle,” Coon said. “We’ve had incidents like this before. Unfortunately, we’ve even had fatals from kids car surfing.”
In March, a 16-year-old girl spent a week in a pediatric intensive care unit after another "car surfing" accident in North Las Vegas, police said.
Thinning of the herd..inevitable. My guess is he's not a member of MENSA. This wasn't an accident. This was a stupid act.
Another example of our education system at work. This is the kind of individuals that are coming out of our school system, poor judgement and decision making. The driver should known better, it makes no difference is the 20 yoa want to do it, the passenger should of known better. So are the parents going to sue the auto maker for not making the vehicle safer? I still believe parents need to be held accountable for their children or adult childen doing reckless and unsafe acts that result in servere injury or death. I certainly hope the 17 year old loses his license, if he had one and the 15 year old passenger has to wait till 21 before he can obtain a license for particapating in an unsafe act with a motor vehicle.
Can you say STUPID. The Driver should share in the Responsibility of paying all medical bills. The Car should be confiscated for Public Auction and the property of the Car Owner should be collateral against any expenses.
It's time to stop this nonsense, assign responsibility and liability.
This is how we clean the gene pool.
Darwin's Natural Selection at its finest.
Very stupid behavior...PERIOD
Here's your sign.
As long as he was having a good time, I am up with this.
Sorry to see someone get hurt like this from doing something so stupid but I have to agree with Ben on this one. The public should not be made to pay for this mans decisions. He needs to be held responsible for his own actions.
Damn. What ever happened to "ghost riding" the "whip"? LOL
In a word: MORON!
Sadly we all look back at things we did as a teenager, and think how things could have gone bad for us............Obviously stupid......but sad....his brother was driving......sad sad sad.
This is the reason we have rising health care cost because I don't think the auto insurance nor a
group insurance should pay for this one.
Just when you think you have something idiot proof then someone makes a better idiot!
And this statement here Kids don't realize how dangerous it really is to stand on top of a moving vehicle," Coon said. "We've had incidents like this before. Unfortunately, we've even had fatals from kids car surfing."
Yeah they know how dangerous it is they think it wont happen to them. They know so don't give them an out.
I would be embarassed to claim them two as my seed.
That boy is a surfing fool
Young people are natural risk takers, that's why old people like them in the military.
It used to be people like Teddy Roosevelt, Danial Boone, Admiral Perry, John Muir, Amelia Earhart would be praised for their risk taking, now people trash risk takers (the mean-spirited posters on this site are probably jealous cowards.)
RIP this country needs your spirit of adventure and darling.
No If's, And's or Butts just plain STUPID! What's going on in NLV that idiots feel they're supposed to stand on de hood while another drives. Guess it's in the water.
Thank heaven for Henderson!
@mred - I'm guessing that your act of always taking the opposing view, being a contrarian, and being just an all-around ass must fill some sad void in your life, but even this post today is pathetic, even by your low standards.
Another candidate for the Darwin awards.
He got First Prize: the DNR Award.
And when does the lawsuit come.....I can see this morons family suing the car company......the shoes he wore that didn't have enough grip...dmv for issuing his brother a license.....on and on....stupidty pays in this country
@newnvres (Ben Lambert)
Uhmm the driver was his brother. Not sure what medical responsibilities you would like him to handle. I'm sure he's grieving right now that he caused his brother's death.
What happened was stupid. But honestly putting the 17 yr old brother in jail will not teach him anymore of a lesson than losing his brother due to his actions.
I think that's pretty apparent. Does he deserve punishment, according to the law yes, but doubtful that would actually affect him more, instead it would just cost us taxpayers money for jail, court etc.
What an unbelievably moronic act. Now his 17 year old brother will have to carry that burden for the rest of his life. Good job, parents.
So no one posting has ever done something reckless or risky in their youth? It must be nice to pass vitriol judgement so easily.
What a tool, Teen Wolf figured out how to do it right and that was on top of his father's utility truck with his buddy "Styles," driving.
@ lvhomegrown
risk taking in "youth," is one thing, a 20 year old who should be at least starting to act like an adult doing something this far out there?
sorry to the family, but this bonehead got what he was asking for, the only tragedy is he didn't realize it until it was too late.
and the brother driving? what's their family tree look like a stump?
Looks like they will need helmet laws for car surfers next.
mred, somehow most of us see flying solo across the Atlantic, going to war or riding a horse out west 150 years ago as reasonable risks to take for the reward. Standing (or sitting) on the hood of a speeding car doesn't quite compare. I'm sorry the participants have to go through this trrrible result, but the fault lies 100% with them. We all wish they would have gotten pulled over and ticketed or scolded by the cops before it came to this. I'm sure they do too. The kid driving will have to live with this forever. Again, he could have prevented it. In the old days (1960's), we could ride in the back of a pickup, That's way safer than riding on the hood, but still not safe. That's why we have laws.
In unrelated news, the average IQ score in the Las Vegas area just inched upwards.
For the first time in history I agree with MRED...
Anyone, especially males, who can say they didn't do something completely dangerous and idiotic at the age of 20 is lying through their teeth.
This is an unfortunate accident, one that should not be made light of. I assure you, those commenting here who have children, they are out doing the same stupid things.
mred...I really can't tell if you are just trolling here with this comment.
Bakersfield addressed it pretty handily, but your comment is a non sequitur. There is absolutely no comparison with doing something like 'car surfing' and exploring wild Appalachia in the 1700's.
Natural selection at work
what no video? tosh.o would have loved this.
talk about taking a risk. joining the military during the bush years.