Friends of the victim told Eyewitness News he was playing a game nicknamed rodeo, in which someone stands on the running board of a pickup truck as it moves.
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The incident happened in Riverside around 11 p.m. Police say the victim, Rio Rodriguez, 22, was riding in a Toyota truck at relatively low speeds when it happened.
"It looks like this vehicle was driving down the street, and one of the passengers got out while it was still moving in an attempt to stand on the running boards of the truck," said Riverside Officer Ryan Railsback. "While trying to do so he fell and was struck by the vehicle."
The stunt was similar to an activity known as "ghost riding the whip," where a driver gets out of a vehicle while still in motion.
In this case, however, Rodriguez was a passenger and someone else was driving the vehicle.
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"The difference between this and the ghost riding that's the new thing that's out there, unfortunately, is that there was someone in control of this vehicle, and there were other passengers inside as well," Railsback said. "So the passenger did this, but the car was still being controlled."
Police are still looking into whether drugs or alcohol was a factor.
Riverside police say this tragedy is an unfortunate example of how dangerous these kinds of stunts can be.
"Whether you're the driver or a passenger in the vehicle, this is a large piece of machinery that can cause some damage if you get in its way," Railsback said.