Two Missouri teens were killed last week and one was seriously injured while riding all-terrain vehicles, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Yesterday, Zachary T. Barker, a 15-year-old from Potosi, died. He was a passenger on an ATV being driven by a 14-year-old. The ATV they were riding drove out of a ditch, onto the highway and into the patch of an oncoming car. The ATV was hit by the car and the boys were thrown 60 feet.
On Tuesday, the body of Daniel R. Dorsey, a 15-year-old from St. Charles, was found in a swollen creek. Dorsey had been riding an ATV and it is believed he crashed it in the creek.
Monday, 14-year-old Madeline Moreton of Wildwood was seriously injured when the ATV she was driving hit a tree.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the annual tally of accidents involving ATVs increased by nearly 180 percent between 1995 and 2004. Children younger than 16 years accounted for nearly a quarter of all ATV-related deaths and a third of ATV-related injuries, such as brain and spinal cord trauma.
Because of their inherently unstable design, these vehicles, which sometimes weigh more than 700 pounds easily tip over or even roll. Add to this the frequent use of ATVs on uneven surfaces and the vehicles’ high-performance engines, capable of speeds topping 60 mph, and you can see why the numbers of ATV-related fatalities and injuries continue to grow.
Now that schools are closing for the summer, it is likely that more teens will be riding ATVs. Survive the Ride, a coalition of hospital and helicopter workers who often treat ATV injuries, urges riders to wear helmets. Riders are also urged not to allow passengers on ATVs. In addition, only people over the age of 16 should be allowed to use adult-sized ATVs.
If you or a loved one has been injured or a family member has been killed in an ATV accident we urge you to contact Carey, Danis & Lowe. Our attorneys will find out whether the the manufacturer or someone else is responsible for the accident. If so, we will then seek for future and other related medical expenses, future and other affected wages, pain and suffering, disability and/or other related damages.
