Mar. 13, 2026 at 2:49am

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The family of Joey Czaplinski, a Maryland man who recently moved to Fort Lauderdale, is devastated after he was killed in a skateboard accident. Czaplinski, 34, died early Tuesday morning after falling off his electric skateboard and being struck by a car on A1A and Sunrise Boulevard. His sister, Taylor Rudolph, said the family is now trying to figure out how to transfer his body back to Maryland, which is a costly process. Rudolph described Czaplinski as a ‘funny life of the party person’ who was loved by many, and the family hopes he is remembered for his big personality, not the tragic way he died.

Why it matters

This tragic incident highlights the dangers that electric skateboarders can face on busy roads, especially in tourist-heavy areas like Fort Lauderdale. It also underscores the challenges families can face when a loved one dies away from home, having to navigate the logistics and expenses of transporting a body across state lines.

The details

According to the report, Czaplinski had recently moved from Maryland to Fort Lauderdale and was bartending at local beach bars. Early Tuesday morning, he fell off his electric skateboard and was then struck by a car on A1A and Sunrise Boulevard. Fort Lauderdale police are not calling this a hit-and-run, and Rudolph said a detective told the family that the car believed to have hit Czaplinski was impounded, though police did not confirm those details with CBS News Miami.

Czaplinski died early Tuesday morning (March 11, 2026).Czaplinski had recently moved from Maryland to Fort Lauderdale.
The players

Joey Czaplinski

A 34-year-old Maryland man who recently moved to Fort Lauderdale and was killed in a skateboard accident.

Taylor Rudolph

Czaplinski’s sister, who is now back in Maryland trying to figure out how to transfer his body.

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What they’re saying

“My family is devastated. I can’t even put it into words.”

— Taylor Rudolph, Czaplinski’s sister (CBS News Miami)

“He was witty and funny and sarcastic. He was a funny life of the party person and that’s how he deserve to be remembered by, nothing less than that.”

— Taylor Rudolph, Czaplinski’s sister (CBS News Miami)

What’s next

The family is now working to transfer Czaplinski’s body back to Maryland, which they say is a costly and difficult process.

The takeaway

This tragic incident serves as a reminder of the risks electric skateboarders face on busy roads, and the challenges families can encounter when a loved one dies away from home. Czaplinski’s family hopes to honor his memory by focusing on his vibrant personality, rather than the circumstances of his death.