Friends of a Heritage High School senior who died Thursday paid tribute to the skateboarder by skating down the street on which he was killed.

John "Johnny" Nicolette, 18, was killed after he apparently fell off his skateboard while hanging on to a friend's Jeep. He suffered head trauma and was pronounced dead at Littleton Hospital at 9:48 a.m.

Thursday afternoon, more than two dozen skateboarders and "longboarders" - longboards are longer and wider than skateboards and usually are used for racing rather than performing tricks - gathered at the intersection at 2:30 p.m. to take a run down South Windermere Road in a tribute to Nicolette.

Police were called at 9 a.m. Thursday to the intersection of South Windermere Street and West Meadowbrook Road on a report that a skateboarder had collided with a car.

The driver of the Jeep, Colin McEuen, 18, also a Heritage senior, was interviewed by police. No charges were filed, but the investigation is continuing.

It was not known what caused Nicolette to come off the skateboard or how fast McEuen was driving at the time.

"There was nothing to indicate that excessive speed was a factor," said Lt. Doug Parker, spokesman for Littleton police. The speed limit in the area is 30 mph, and alcohol and drugs were not considered factors.

State traffic laws restrict people from riding on or clinging to moving vehicles, which is a misdemeanor. Detectives are trying to sort out whether McEuen knew that Nicolette had grabbed on to the vehicle, Parker said.

Counselors were dispatched to the school to help students and the staff deal with the loss. Thursday was the last day of classes, and today was designated as "senior day."

"Johnny was a great longboarder," said John Triantes, 18, a Heritage senior who helped organized the event. "It's what he would have wanted us to do."

News of Nicolette's death was announced over the public address system around second period, though it initially was reported as a car accident.

Later, word filtered down from other students that Nicolette was killed while "skitching," a term used to describe a skateboarder hitching a ride by holding on to part of a vehicle.

"I was shocked at first," classmate Stephen Allison, 18, said. "It's something that was always done, but something had gone wrong."

Most of the students and fellow skaters described Nicolette as an experienced longboarder and bright student. Nicolette, along with McEuen, was bound for the University of Colorado this fall.

One student, 15, who didn't want to be identified knew Nicolette from marching band, where Nicolette played first trumpet. "He was really into music," the freshman said, adding that Nicolette also was in the school's jazz band. "He was a really nice kid.."

Killian Bailey, 16, a sophomore, said he cried when he heard of the incident.

"You know it's dangerous, but I thought he would have a broken leg or something," he said. "I did not expect that he would die."

Others said they hope that Nicolette's death will serve as a cautionary tale.

"You hear all the horror stories, but no one could see it happening," said John Sweet, 18, who plans to room with McEuen at CU. "Maybe people would reconsider wearing a helmet."

But no one believes Nicolette's death will stop longboarders from skitching. "It's all about freedom," said Cameron Allison, 16.

A woman who answered the phone at Nicolette's home declined to comment.

"We really need time to grieve and be together," she said.