California Injury Blog

A 10-year-old boy from Rialto died in a Riverside ATV accident after he fell out of a moving ATV in Reche Canyon the evening of April 26, 2009, according to a news Web site. California Highway Patrol officials said the fatal personal injury accident was reported on Reche Canyon Road near Smiley Boulevard close to Moreno Valley. It is not known whether the boy, who has not yet been identified, was driving or a passenger in the Polaris ATV. It is also not known whether he was wearing safety gear.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of the young boy for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. I offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved this child. Please keep them in your prayers.

Hundreds of young people, especially children 16 years or younger are catastrophically injured or killed in ATV accidents each year. According to a recent study done by the Children's Hospital of Ohio, more than 136,000 people nationwide go to emergency rooms each year as a result of ATV accident related injuries. One-third of these crashes usually involve children who are 16 years old or younger.

Continue reading "Riverside County ATV Accident Kills 10-year-old Boy" »

An 11-year-old boy was killed in an ATV rollover crash in an unincorporated area of Alameda County the afternoon of April 13, 2009, according to a KTVU News report. The boy, who has not been identified, was riding an all-terrain vehicle on a dirt road on private property at 27309 Fairview Ave. north of Hayward when the rollover accident occurred. Officials say the 11-year-old was driving the vehicle down a hill when he lost control and the vehicle began to roll over.

The boy may have been partially ejected from the vehicle as it tumbled down the hill, California Highway Patrol officials said. He was taken to an area hospital where he died. CHP officials are also inspecting the ATV to check if any mechanical problems could have caused this tragic ATV crash. The news report does not specify the brand or model of all-terrain vehicle the boy was driving.

My heart goes out to the family of this 11-year-old boy for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. I offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved this young boy. Please keep them in your prayers.

Continue reading "ATV Rollover Accident Killed 11-year-old Boy in Alameda County " »

Teenager Killed in San Diego ATV Crash

Christian Don Stover, a 16-year-old boy from Alpine, died in a San Diego ATV accident on the Barona Indian Reservation just south of Ramona, according to a news report in the San Diego Union-Tribune. Christian and some of his friends were driving the off-road vehicles the evening of April 1, 2009 near Wildcat Canyon Road and Featherstone Canyon Road when he lost control and was ejected. Christian Don Stover was pronounced dead at the scene.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of young Christian Don Stover for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. I offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved this young man. Please keep them in your prayers.

Hundreds of young people, especially children 16 years or younger are catastrophically injured or killed in ATV accidents each year. According to a recent study done by the Children's Hospital of Ohio, more than 136,000 people nationwide go to emergency rooms each year as a result of ATV accident related injuries. One-third of these crashes usually involve children who are 16 years old or younger.

Continue reading "San Diego ATV Crash" »

A teenager who was killed in a Fresno ATV accident on December 6, 2008 has been identified as 16-year-old Alyssa Wiley. According to this news report in the Fresno Bee, the off-road vehicle accident occurred in the 13000 block of Bullard Avenue near Academy Avenue.
California Highway Patrol officials apparently have no other information about this ATV crash. Alyssa died of her injuries a day after the accident.

My heart goes out to Alyssa’s family for their tragic loss. To lose someone so young must be heartbreaking for any family. Please keep them in your prayers.

There are many unanswered questions that arise from the tragic accident. What type of all-terrain vehicle was Alyssa riding? Was she a driver or a passenger? Was she wearing safety gear, specifically a helmet? How did she lose control of the ATV, if she was the one driving it? Answers to these questions will help determine what exactly went wrong or caused this ATV crash.

Continue reading "Fresno ATV Accident Kills Teenager" »

An Upland man who died in a San Bernardino all-terrain vehicle accident on November 29, 2008 has been identified as 28-year-old Victor V. Ortiz. According to this news Web site, Ortiz was on an off-road quad vehicle (or ATV) when it overturned on Soggy Dry Lake, about three miles north of Highway 247 in Lucerne Valley. Ortiz, who was not wearing a helmet, was ejected from the ATV. Ortiz was transported to an Apple Valley hospital where he was pronounced dead.

I offer my heartfelt condolences to the family of young Victor Ortiz who was killed in this 11/29/08 ATV rollover crash.

We often see a spurt in ATV accidents during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, especially in California where the weather is conducive for outdoor activities year-round. California is among the states that have a high number of ATV accident related fatalities. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s ATV safety Web site, there were a total of 312 ATV accident related deaths reported in California between 2003 and 2006. Nationwide, 555 ATV accident deaths were reported in 2006 and about 146,000 people were treated in the country’s emergency rooms for ATV accident related injuries.

Continue reading "San Bernardino ATV Rollover Accident Kills Man" »

Recently, I heard from Kim Smith, the mother of a young man who suffered severe brain injuries in an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident three years ago. Kim kindly agreed to share her story through our blog as a way of warning parents and teens, especially, not to take ATVs for granted. B.J. Smith’s story is an example of how “one fun ride” can change your life forever.

On a sunny afternoon while vacationing at his uncle’s house in Texas, B.J. decided to take his uncle’s new ATV for a spin although he and his cousins had been told never to go near the 350 c.c., 386-pound machine unsupervised. B.J. reached nearly 60 mph on the ATV when a dog ran out unexpectedly and clipped the front wheel of the ATV. He was thrown 25 feet from the point of impact. B.J. had no helmet on and slammed his head on the sidewalk with full force. Blood poured from his nose, eyes, ears and mouth. He was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital “dead on arrival” after having celebrated his 15th birthday only six weeks before this nightmarish incident.

B.J. spent the first three weeks after the accident in a coma. His parents were told that the boy had only a 10 percent chance of survival. He spent five months in the hospital having suffered a severe traumatic brain injury, broken collar bone and ribs, punctured lung, lacerated liver and injuries to his arms, legs and back. The 6-foot, 225-pound boy, who was an avid athlete and a gym rat, was now relearning to walk, talk, eat, bathe and dress. He had very little memory of life before the accident. His parents were told right away that B.J would need 24/7 care for the rest of his life. Kim Smith says she recalled the words of Michael Paul Mason who best described the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury; it “strikes with the concussive ferocity of a bomb; woe to those near its epicenter”. B. J. Smith and his family lived through such a catastrophe.

B.J.’s personality changed dramatically. There were days when he was docile and gentle, giving hugs and showing a need for affection. But on most days, he had emotional outbursts and crying tantrums, cursing wildly and sometimes turning physically violent. Nothing could have prepared his family for such grief and heartbreak. Doctors recommended that family members tell the teen stories from his childhood to offer comfort and remind him of his beautiful life prior to the ATV accident.

Continue reading "ATV Accident Changes Teenager’s Life Forever" »

Markus V. Whitherspoon, 20, suffered severe injuries after he was ejected from a 2004 Yamaha Prohauler ATV in Valley Lake Ranchos on Oct. 17, 2008, The Madera Tribune reports. The ATV was being driven by a 17-year-old boy and was registered to Greg Weeks of Madera.

California Highway Patrol officials said several ATVs were being driven to a local store or restaurant when the 10/17/08 accident occurred near Road 30 and Avenue 20 ½. Whitherspoon was taken to an area hospital with major internal head injuries. Racing all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes and quads is apparently a popular sport in the Valley Lake Ranchos area.

Continue reading "Madera ATV Accident Severely Injures Man" »

Joaquin Monreal, 26, of Santa Maria, reportedly died in a California ATV accident at the Oceano Dunes recreation area. According to this news report, Monreal went missing after a late-night right on his all-terrain vehicle. Friends, who went out looking for him, found Monreal unconscious, lying in the sand next to his ATV. He was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene.

Officials, who are investigating the accident, say they don’t know how the ATV accident occurred and don’t have any eyewitnesses. They also say Monreal was wearing proper safety gear and the weather was not a factor in the crash. Park rangers say Monreal must’ve died waiting for help. Rangers recommend ATV riders to go out in groups of at least three so one person can stay with the injured person and administer aid while the other goes out to get help. This is reportedly the fourth fatal ATV accident in the area this year. There were three in 2007.

It’s too early to tell what caused the death. The investigation is complicated by the fact that there were no witnesses who saw it happen and Monreal was equipped with safety gear and doesn’t seem to have been intoxicated, although the coroner is still conducting an autopsy and toxicology tests to determine the cause of death.

Continue reading "Santa Maria ATV Accident Claims Man’s Life" »

Seventeen-year-old Justin James Wolff of Modesto died from being thrown off his all-terrain vehicle (ATV) west of Modesto, according to a recent article in The Modesto Bee.

Wolff was riding with his friends in an orchard he was familiar with near Paradise Road when the ATV accident happened. California Highway Patrol officials said Wolff was doing 50 mph on a three-wheeled 1985 Honda ATV on a dirt embankment west of Illinois Avenue in west Modesto. He lost control of the three-wheeler as he jumped from the embankment over an access road. The ATV reportedly rolled over many times and threw Wolff on Illinois' northbound lane. The teen suffered serious injuries and brain damage and died later at the Memorial Medical Center in Modesto.

I offer my deepest condolences to the Wolff family. Please keep this teenage boy in your prayers. According to the article Wolff hadn’t worn his helmet in the ATV crash. In Stanislaus County helmet use is not required on private property. In fact, that is the law in most states and counties across the nation. Hundreds of young people, especially teenagers, are injured, maimed or killed every year in the United States because they don’t wear helmets and other protective gear.

Continue reading "Modesto ATV Rollover Accident Claims Teen's Life" »

Recreational All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) have always been a problem for safety advocates who have now called for a new set of ATV standards including a ban of three-wheeled ATVs. These advocates have also long battled manufacturers and their associations to ban the sales of adult-size ATVs for use by children.

A study on ATV-related deaths and injuries released this February by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports on the available 2006 data. There were 555 fatalities and over 146,000 injuries in 2006 compared to 666 fatalities and over 136,000 injuries for the previous year. Further, these numbers for children younger than 16 were 111 fatalities and 39,000 injuries for 2006 while for 2005 there were 145 fatalities and 40,000 injuries. The trend of marginally lower death rates and increasing injuries seem to apply for the years since 2000.

Better equipment including helmets and protective gear, better understanding of proper riding methods and usage and effective consumer safety campaigns have apparently played a part in lowering the number of deaths. It appears that the increasing number of ATV Accident injuries is due to growing ATV usage and their availability.

Continue reading "All Terrain Vehicle Safety Concerns" »

Placer County Sheriff’s search and rescue teams located the all-terrain vehicle and the bodies of its two missing riders this past Tuesday just before midnight. The teams discovered the bodies of Vitaliy Kolyadich, 25, of Carmichael and Svetlana N. Koval, 23, of Redlands, which had fallen in an embankment seemingly after an accident involving their ATV, according to a Auburn Journal Web article.

Dena Erwin, a spokeswoman for the Placer County Sheriff’s Department is quoted as saying that the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department learnt about the two ATV riders when their families reported them missing on Monday.

My sympathies and condolences are with the families of the two young accident victims. The sad outcome of this search must have crushed their hopes and one can only imagine the grief and pain they’re going through.

Continue reading "Foresthill ATV Riders Found Dead " »

A 21-year-old Fullerton woman reportedly died when she was thrown off her all-terrain vehicle when she was riding in San Bernardino county north of Barstow, according to an article in The Orange County Register. Amanda Jane Simon was killed when she was ejected from her ATV. The vehicle then landed on her head and ran over her, the newspaper reported.

Although Simon was using safety equipment when she was riding the ATV, it didn’t do much to save her life because of the severity of the ATV crash and her serious head injuries. In fact, investigators say she died instantly on the first impact.

It is always tragic when a young life is snuffed out in an unfortunate accident such as this. Simon, for example, was a woman who was full of life. She was interested in getting a veterinary degree, was already working in a pet kennel in Yorba Linda and was about to get married later this month, the Register reported. Simon and her fiancé, Billy Paquette, reportedly often rode ATVs in the area where this accident occurred.

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The holidays seem to be a popular time for children to ride all-terrain vehicles. Unfortunately, this is also that time of the year when the number of deaths and injuries as a result of ATV crashes is at its highest. A majority of the crashes involve younger children or teenagers who crash their vehicles because they lose control of them. Safety experts urge parents to supervise their children, make sure they are buckled up and are wearing the necessary safety gear before they get on one of these vehicles.

Here is a round-up of recent ATV crashes from all parts of the country:

Girl injured: A 9-year-old girl suffered serious head injuries and a broken collar bone in Thibodaux, La. as she and her father rode the four-wheelers through a private cane field. The girl lost control of her vehicle when her accelerator became stuck, officials said. The girl was reportedly riding a child-size ATV.

Hunter dead: A hunter was found dead in Tunica, Miss. after he lost control of his four-wheel all-terrain vehicle on a rural road. The man was identified as 42-year-old Wayne Comardella. The ATV reportedly hit an embankment and flipped over. Comardella suffered fatal head and chest injuries, the article said.

Continue reading "ATV Accident Round-up" »

In what was a horrible tragedy during a family’s Thanksgiving Day get-together, a 12-year-old Paso Robles girl died when she crashed while riding an all-terrain vehicle with her cousins and uncles, according to an article in the San Luis Obispo Tribune.

Ashlyn Vargas reportedly went to California Valley on Thanksgiving Day morning to drive ATVs with her family members just before their planned celebration. Ashlyn was reportedly driving an ATV described as a “quad with a roll cage” on flat ground, when she lost control. She was ejected from the vehicle and then the ATV rolled and landed on the girl, crushing her.

Ashlyn’s cousin, also 12, who was riding another ATV nearby, ran to a family member’s house in the neighborhood to get help, the article said. Ashlyn’s uncle tried to resuscitate her with CPR, but that did not help. Ashlyn was pronounced dead by paramedics on the scene.

Continue reading "12-year-old Paso Robles Girl Dies In Thanksgiving Day ATV Crash" »

A Florida jury has awarded $3.6 million to the family of a 13-year-old who was killed in an ATV accident four years ago. Jurors found that the family that owned the all-terrain vehicle was negligent in the September 2003 crash that happened in a gated Delray beach community, according to an article in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Parents of the teenager – Duane and Cathy Hennarichs – sued Roger and Karen Fina, owners of the ATV. The Hennarichs’ daughter, Sara, died riding an ATV that was meant for those 16 and older, the article stated. Jurors ruled that the Finas along with their 17-year-old son were negligent and hence liable for Sara’s death. Jurors assigned most of the liability to the Finas, 15 percent to a third party and 5 percent to Sara herself.

Sara’s parents reportedly heaved a sigh of relief because they said it was a confirmation of what they believed all along – that it was not their daughter’s fault that she died. The decision and the award will not bring their daughter back or fill the void in their lives, but will help them move on to some extent, an attorney for the Hennarichs told the Sun-Sentinel.

Continue reading "Jury Awards $3.6 Million to Parents of Florida Girl Who Died in ATV Crash" »

Four-year-old Jayden Railey Bennett was driving his four-wheel ATV when he veered off of a dirt road and into the path of an oncoming semi. The truck driver, 43-year-old Lemoore resident Martin Garcia, was apparently driving under the speed limit and was not at fault. Jayden was wearing a helmet, but neither his safety equipment nor his little body could deflect the sheer force of a semi truck.

The question is how could this happen? And was Jayden too young to be driving an ATV? While state law does not set a minimum age to drive an ATV on private property, when operating an ATV on public land in California, state law currently requires that all ATV riders under 18 years of age must have an ASI ATV Safety Certificate, or be supervised by an adult who possesses the Certificate.

According to the Fresno Bee, Jayden was following a group of older children when he crossed onto the public road and his grandfather, who was supposed to be watching him, was nowhere in sight. Now Jayden’s grandfather, seventy-year-old William Bennett of Goshen, could be charged with child endangerment, said Scott Harris, a California Highway Patrol officer.

Dr. Larry Foreman has seen it more times than he would like to admit. Dr. Foreman, who is an emergency room physician at Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, indicated that he has seen hundreds of children injured riding ATVs at the nearby Oceano State Vehicular Recreation Area, on California's Central Coast. He has observed that younger children often try to ride an ATV that is too large and too powerful for them to control, leading to injuries. Dr. Foreman indicated that he did not believe that a four-year old child would have the maturity or the knowledge to safely drive an ATV. His concerns are echoed by the ATV Safety Institute who recommends that children be able to perceive danger in advance and that they have the mental, emotional and physical development to be able to drive an ATV safely before solo-piloting these vehicles.

Dr. Foreman said he has tried several times to get the Legislature to pass laws that would set age limits for ATV riders on public property, especially at places like Oceano Dunes. Dr. Foreman pointed to guidelines established by an ATV safety association created by some major ATV manufacturers and based on the child's age and size of the ATV.

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