Pro Skater Laron Best Recovering From Spinal Fractures After Near-Fatal Car Crash

Professional roller skater Laron Gigger is recovering in the hospital after he suffered a crushed vertebra and two spinal fractures in a car crash last month, he wrote in an Instagram post.

Gigger, who was a passenger, wrote that a friend was driving him home from an event around 3 a.m. when he fell asleep. He said the driver then fell asleep at the wheel less than a mile from his home and hit a fire hydrant. The car flipped multiple times, its airbags deployed and it landed upside down on its windshield, he wrote.

He said he crawled out of the wreckage and started walking, but collapsed in the street because of severe back pain. Besides the spinal injuries, he sustained a sprained shoulder and said his entire body remains sore. His friend did not have any serious injuries.

Gigger said he will be unable to skate, perform or work for weeks while he recovers. Because he earns most of his money from skating and social media, he launched a campaign to raise money for his medical bills and living expenses in Los Angeles, directing followers to a donation link in his Instagram bio. He said donations of any size would help.

“I appreciate all the prayers, calls, texts, and posts. I love you guys so much,” Gigger wrote.

The timing is especially hard, he said. His birthday is less than two weeks away, and he had major paid gigs lined up for the rest of the year. Still, he wrote that he is trying to stay optimistic.

“I’m just grateful that I made it out alive and God gave me another chance,” he said.

An Atlanta native, Gigger has built a career marked by several firsts. In a 2025 interview with Gaye Magazine, he discussed becoming the first Black queer pro roller skater to walk a mainstream runway in Milan, at Dsquared2’s Milan Fashion Week show. He also made his television debut as part of the Haus of Sk8, the first all Black-queer skating group.

Donate to Gigger’s fundraising campaign here.