ARVADA, Colo. -- A 17-year-old Arvada student has been sentenced in the death of his best friend, who was killed while being towed on his skateboard, the District Attorney's Office announced Friday.

The Ralston Valley High School student, whose name wasn't released because he is a juvenile, had pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide in May.

On Thursday, the teen was sentenced to two years probation and 150 hours of community service. A minimum of 50 hours of that community service must be public speaking and education, prosecutors said. The remainder must be on topics recommended by the victim's family and directed at helping kids, District Attorney Scott Storey said.

The teen was driving a Ford Mustang on Feb. 25 while his 16-year-old friend Ryan Bailey was "skitching," or skateboarding and hitching a ride by holding on to the door. Bailey somehow lost his grip, was hit by the Mustang and died of his injuries. He was not wearing a helmet.

As part of the teen driver's probation, he will have to have mental health counseling, take victim empathy classes, participate in a restorative justice program, comply with court imposed driving restrictions and comply with a 6 p.m. curfew with the exception of approved activities.

Arvada police said skitching has led to the deaths of two teenagers in Arvada in a four-month period. Another teen died in Littleton in the past six months.

"Skitching has been around for decades in one form or another. In today’s version, skateboarders, roller bladers, bicyclists and even snowboarders hitch rides on cars, trucks or trains to gain speed. This faster, more high-tech skitching is extremely dangerous and it's also illegal," Storey said.

Storey said skitching is a crime, whether or not anyone is hurt. A rider can be charged with a traffic infraction and the person driving the car can be charged with a felony if the rider is injured or killed.

"Lots of people skitch while friends drive, but there is an additional thrill for skitchers hanging on to cars whose driver is unaware of an uninvited hitching rider," Storey said. "We have a case pending in our office against a man who was driving in his neighborhood with his family in the car when a local teen on a skateboard grabbed onto his car to hitch a ride. The teen spoke briefly to the family in the car before he fell under the car and was run over. He died from his injuries. The man driving the car has been charged with a felony even though he didn't invite the youth to hitch a ride on his car."