A teenager is expected to need more surgeries after a man charged with drunken driving struck him on his skateboard, police said Thursday.

The 16-year-old suffered swelling on the brain and needed surgery for a broken right ankle and a deep cut over the right eye, according to police reports.

“I was told he’s undergone two surgeries already and he’s got several more to go,” Johns Creek police spokesman Capt. Chris Byers said.

The teen was riding his skateboard on Taylor Road in Johns Creek on July 12 when a man in a gray Ford F150 pickup truck hit him.

Christopher Caldwell, the driver, told a police officer he had one beer four hours before the accident, according to the police report.

He later admitted to having two beers.

A breath alcohol test showed Caldwell had a blood alcohol level of 0.103, police said. This exceeds the legal limit of .08 in Georgia.

He was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and serious injury by vehicle.

The teen is out of critical condition and home from the hospital, police said.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Shannen Grimes, 52, is accused of stabbing her 11-year-old daughter to death in her Laurel Grove condominium. Sandy Springs police discovered the girl's body on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (Channel 2 Action News)

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Featured

WABE has cut staff and programming to accommodate the loss of $1.9 million in annual funding from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, which Congress defunded this month. (Rodney Ho/AJC 2025)

Credit: Rodney Ho/AJC