CARLSBAD -- A 16-year-old skateboarder was hurt Friday when a truck that had been towing him ran him over, a Carlsbad police sergeant said.

The Carlsbad youth had been sitting on the curb in the 3300 block of Garfield Street with some friends a little before 6 p.m. when a 17-year-old friend driving a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck pulled over to talk to them, Sgt. Keith Blackburn said.

As the truck pulled away, the boy, who wore no helmet, stood on his skateboard, grabbed the truck's passenger door handle and was pulled a short way, Blackburn said. The skateboard then caught under the rear tire, knocking the skateboarder to the ground, the tire driving over his chest and chin.

The teen was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla by helicopter. Blackburn said it was remarkable that he suffered only moderate injuries, including a laceration to the head. He is expected to recover and leave the hospital within a day or two.

It is illegal for a driver to tow a skateboarder, and skateboarders under 18 must wear helmets, Blackburn said.

Carlsbad traffic investigators are determining whether any criminal charges are appropriate.