Hingham teen dies in ‘freak accident’

June 12, 2011|By Matt Bryne and John M. Guilfoil, Globe Correspondent | Globe Staff

An 18-year-old who graduated from Hingham High School just one week ago died last night, less than a day after what officials believe was a “freak’’ accident involving his friend’s car, police said.

Sean Ryan was walking with his girlfriend near his Tudor Place home about 10:30 p.m. Friday when he spotted a friend driving past. The driver, identified in a police statement as 19-year-old Nicholas J. O’Keefe, offered the two a ride.

Ryan climbed onto the outside of the vehicle on the rear bumper before O’Keefe pulled into Ryan’s driveway a short distance away. “The vehicle’s occupants then noticed the victim was no longer on the outside of the car and found him in the road,’’ the statement said.

Ryan was taken to South Shore Hospital. He was removed from life support last night.

“Almost as a joke he decided to jump on the back of the car the last few yards to the house. He must have slipped somehow and hit the back of his head. He was out right away,’’ said Patrick Ryan, 27, the victim’s half-brother, in a phone interview. “Basically, he never came to.’’

No charges have been filed in the case, according to police, although officers at the scene found unopened containers of alcohol in the vehicle, police said. The driver, O’Keefe, was not impaired, police said.

Word of the accident spread quickly. Scores of Sean Ryan’s classmates visited the teen at the hospital before he died.

The 18-year-old graduated June 4 from Hingham High, where he played football and was a bright student, his half-brother said. He was preparing to attend Villanova University in the fall.

“It was a freak accident,’’ Patrick Ryan said. “He just landed the wrong way.’’

Matt Byrne can be reached at mbyrne.globe@gmail.com. John M. Guilfoil can be reached at guilfoil@globe.com