Mom2-3boys
07-23-2008, 10:42 AM
Three Children Injured In ATV Accident
Two young sisters and their younger brother were all injued while riding an All-Terrain Vehicle and were hit by a 15-year-old driver in a pickup.
The collision happened around 11:30 a.m. just west of Lake Norden on 446th Avenue just north of South Dakota Highway 28. It's a farming community where most people know everyone by their first names, and the accident is having a devastating impact on the community.
The crash between the pickup and ATV happened right in front of the children's home as they were pulling out of one of their driveways.
Hamlin County Sheriff Dan T. Mack says, "It is somewhat blind, but if you come out of the driveway, people know what it is."
Authorities say the seven year old girl, who was driving the ATV, and her younger two-year-old brother were the most seriously injured.
"All three occupants of the ATV were transported by ambulance to Watertown and I just found out the 7-year-old was air-lifted to Sioux Falls," Mack said.
So was her brother.
Their four-year-old sister remains in the Watertown hospital with a concussion. Their conditions are unknown at this time, but investigators say all three were not wearing helmets. The 15-year-old driver of the truck, who wasn't hurt, told investigators he was travelling 55 mph but never saw the children.
"The driver of the pickup was distracted by some horses here in the ditch and the ATV came out of the driveway," Mack said.
The horses belonged to the father of the young kids. There were no witnesses to the crash, but authorities say because of tracks in the ditches, there are indications this isn't the first time the kids had driven their ATV in that area.
Sheriff Mack says the 15-year-old driver of the pickup won't face any charges.
http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=0,72125
This happened in South Dakota, where I live. Now I get the whole rural area thing and it's common to see kids 10-12 y/o on atvs on the farms BUT I don't agree with it. I just wonder what ever possesed the parents of these 3 very young children to let them get on an ATV without an adult in the first place!!!
Now here's the follow up:
Girl Dies After ATV Accident
The seven-year-old girl driving the ATV involved in an accident in Hamlin County Tuesday has died.
The Hamlin County Sheriff's Office says Laurel Smith died Tuesday night as a result of the injuries she received in the crash.
Her two-year-old brother Rylen remains at Sanford Hospital. Officials say the boy has a broken leg and collarbone, as well as some facial fractures.
Their four-year-old sister, Mia, suffered a concussion and is still hospitalized in Watertown but may be released today.
http://www.keloland.com/news/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=0,72146
Two young sisters and their younger brother were all injued while riding an All-Terrain Vehicle and were hit by a 15-year-old driver in a pickup.
The collision happened around 11:30 a.m. just west of Lake Norden on 446th Avenue just north of South Dakota Highway 28. It's a farming community where most people know everyone by their first names, and the accident is having a devastating impact on the community.
The crash between the pickup and ATV happened right in front of the children's home as they were pulling out of one of their driveways.
Hamlin County Sheriff Dan T. Mack says, "It is somewhat blind, but if you come out of the driveway, people know what it is."
Authorities say the seven year old girl, who was driving the ATV, and her younger two-year-old brother were the most seriously injured.
"All three occupants of the ATV were transported by ambulance to Watertown and I just found out the 7-year-old was air-lifted to Sioux Falls," Mack said.
So was her brother.
Their four-year-old sister remains in the Watertown hospital with a concussion. Their conditions are unknown at this time, but investigators say all three were not wearing helmets. The 15-year-old driver of the truck, who wasn't hurt, told investigators he was travelling 55 mph but never saw the children.
"The driver of the pickup was distracted by some horses here in the ditch and the ATV came out of the driveway," Mack said.
The horses belonged to the father of the young kids. There were no witnesses to the crash, but authorities say because of tracks in the ditches, there are indications this isn't the first time the kids had driven their ATV in that area.
Sheriff Mack says the 15-year-old driver of the pickup won't face any charges.
http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=0,72125
This happened in South Dakota, where I live. Now I get the whole rural area thing and it's common to see kids 10-12 y/o on atvs on the farms BUT I don't agree with it. I just wonder what ever possesed the parents of these 3 very young children to let them get on an ATV without an adult in the first place!!!
Now here's the follow up:
Girl Dies After ATV Accident
The seven-year-old girl driving the ATV involved in an accident in Hamlin County Tuesday has died.
The Hamlin County Sheriff's Office says Laurel Smith died Tuesday night as a result of the injuries she received in the crash.
Her two-year-old brother Rylen remains at Sanford Hospital. Officials say the boy has a broken leg and collarbone, as well as some facial fractures.
Their four-year-old sister, Mia, suffered a concussion and is still hospitalized in Watertown but may be released today.
http://www.keloland.com/news/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=0,72146