A 23-year-old Farmville resident was struck by an eastbound vehicle on West Third Street while riding a skateboard Tuesday night at approximately 7:45 p.m.

According to Farmville Police Department Sgt. G. L. Williams, the patient was air-lifted from Centra Southside Community Hospital to VCU Medical Center in Richmond.

“Investigation determined the skateboarder entered (West) Third (Street) from Cormier Drive,” police said. “The skateboarder was not a college student.”

The investigation is ongoing.

The accident follows a contentious decision by Farmville Town Council at the Oct. 11 meeting to change certain speed limits in town.

“The thing with the speed limit is more or less confirming the speed limit,” Spates said following the meeting. “Most of the speed limits are already set in the zones, the only change in any speed limit really is the change in the speed limit on the north end of town from 45 to 40 and on the south end from 45 to 40, and that’s just going to a certain point.”

A new stoplight on Third Street, which was previously said to have been turned on this week, will begin operating the week of Thanksgiving.

“We’re just trying to protect the public, you know, both the motorist as well as the pedestrian, so that’s why we’re looking at these speed limits,” Spates said.