MONROE, N.C. — A Monroe man was left unconscious and bleeding in the middle of the road on Halloween because passersby thought it was a prank.
Arthur Rhodes was skateboarding that night when he was thrown from the board. He hit his head which knocked him out. However, no one stopped to help for some time because they thought he was a decoration.
Rhodes is sharing his story in the hopes it could save someone else's life.
"The board came out from underneath me. I went down headfirst, landed on my helmet and was unconscious on impact," said Rhodes. "People just kind of drove around me and walked past me, like, 'Ha, nice costume.' They thought it was a joke until someone eventually called 911."
Rhodes was rushed to the hospital with a broken shoulder, deep cuts, and a horrible concussion.
"When you're doing a sport like this, you need to dress for the slide, not the ride, 'cause you never know what's going to happen," Rhodes said.
According to the CDC, in 2014, there were 56,800 traumatic brain injury-related deaths in the U.S. More than 2,000 were among children.
Dr. Kevin Burroughs with Atrium Health said it's vital to wear a helmet.
"It really can make a difference in significant aspects of head injuries. We can’t prevent everything, but the most you can do to protect yourself. That’s going to make you the healthiest and the best while you're trying to go out and be active," Dr. Burroughs said.
Some symptoms of a concussion include dizziness, confusion, and nausea.
As for Rhodes, he plans on recovering for the next two months.