Rachel
08-09-2004, 09:11 PM
-_- Ok, I really hate to have to make a thread because of this, but I feel that there should be an age minimum on ATVs.
This is why:
Brockton teen dies in ATV accident in New Hampshire
By Jean Porrazzo, Enterprise staff writer
BROCKTON — A Brockton teen was killed in an off-road vehicle crash in northern New Hampshire Sunday.
James Anderson, 14, son of Thomas and Carolyn Anderson of Brockton, was riding an all-terrain vehicle Sunday afternoon when he veered off a dirt road near Errol, N.H., and struck a tree at a high rate of speed, said Fish and Game Lt. Douglas Gralenski.
Excessive speed and inexperience were key factors in the crash, Gralenski said.
"He hit several trees head-on — his injuries were extensive," he said
Anderson was wearing a helmet, Gralenski said.
The accident occurred at 1:45 p.m. about 45 miles north of Mount Washington. Anderson was pronounced dead at 2:38 p.m. at Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital in Colebrook, N.H., he said.
"Two other juveniles riding other ATVs were riding with him but did not witness him crash," Gralenski said.
Anderson had been staying with friends of his family.
"There's no way to determine the speed, but viewing the amount of damage and distance the machine went, it's a conservative statement to say he was going at a high rate of speed," Gralenski said.
The road Anderson was riding on is a privately owned road and not sanctioned as an ATV trail, Gralenski said.
There were no signs forbidding the use of ATVs, but according to New Hampshire law, a person has to get written permission from the landowner to operate an ATV on the land unless it is part of a state-approved trail system.
However, according to the Concord Monitor newspaper, trail maps of legal riding areas that were supposed to have been developed by the Fish and Game Department have not yet been released. The 2002 law requiring the maps also called for the department to distribute copies of the laws governing ATV use, which the newspaper reported has not been done.
Gralenski said the crash was the second fatal accident involving a juvenile and an ATV in Coos County in the last month. An 8-year-old was killed July 10 in Stratford, N.H., he said.
Anderson was an honor student and would have begun his sophomore year at Brockton High School in September.
He was the brother of Merideth Anderson, 8, and Alexandra Anderson, 10.
Anderson was a member of the Brockton High School freshman baseball team and played saxophone in the Brockton High School Marching Band. He was also a member of the Firefighters baseball team in the Brockton Pony League.
Source is the Brockton Enterprise
James was actually a good friend of mine. Had a crush on him since 7th grade. Got the IM yesterday that he died... not a happy day :unsure:
My little cousins, who are 10 and 12, have ATVs, or more commonly called "quads". My friend Becca, who is also 12, goes "quadding" with another friend of mine, named Stephen.
If this happened to James, and to that 8 year old in Stratford, who says it won't happen to them next? I am totally paranoid now that this has happened.
Do you think that there should be an age-minimum for ATVS, and if so, what age?
This is why:
Brockton teen dies in ATV accident in New Hampshire
By Jean Porrazzo, Enterprise staff writer
BROCKTON — A Brockton teen was killed in an off-road vehicle crash in northern New Hampshire Sunday.
James Anderson, 14, son of Thomas and Carolyn Anderson of Brockton, was riding an all-terrain vehicle Sunday afternoon when he veered off a dirt road near Errol, N.H., and struck a tree at a high rate of speed, said Fish and Game Lt. Douglas Gralenski.
Excessive speed and inexperience were key factors in the crash, Gralenski said.
"He hit several trees head-on — his injuries were extensive," he said
Anderson was wearing a helmet, Gralenski said.
The accident occurred at 1:45 p.m. about 45 miles north of Mount Washington. Anderson was pronounced dead at 2:38 p.m. at Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital in Colebrook, N.H., he said.
"Two other juveniles riding other ATVs were riding with him but did not witness him crash," Gralenski said.
Anderson had been staying with friends of his family.
"There's no way to determine the speed, but viewing the amount of damage and distance the machine went, it's a conservative statement to say he was going at a high rate of speed," Gralenski said.
The road Anderson was riding on is a privately owned road and not sanctioned as an ATV trail, Gralenski said.
There were no signs forbidding the use of ATVs, but according to New Hampshire law, a person has to get written permission from the landowner to operate an ATV on the land unless it is part of a state-approved trail system.
However, according to the Concord Monitor newspaper, trail maps of legal riding areas that were supposed to have been developed by the Fish and Game Department have not yet been released. The 2002 law requiring the maps also called for the department to distribute copies of the laws governing ATV use, which the newspaper reported has not been done.
Gralenski said the crash was the second fatal accident involving a juvenile and an ATV in Coos County in the last month. An 8-year-old was killed July 10 in Stratford, N.H., he said.
Anderson was an honor student and would have begun his sophomore year at Brockton High School in September.
He was the brother of Merideth Anderson, 8, and Alexandra Anderson, 10.
Anderson was a member of the Brockton High School freshman baseball team and played saxophone in the Brockton High School Marching Band. He was also a member of the Firefighters baseball team in the Brockton Pony League.
Source is the Brockton Enterprise
James was actually a good friend of mine. Had a crush on him since 7th grade. Got the IM yesterday that he died... not a happy day :unsure:
My little cousins, who are 10 and 12, have ATVs, or more commonly called "quads". My friend Becca, who is also 12, goes "quadding" with another friend of mine, named Stephen.
If this happened to James, and to that 8 year old in Stratford, who says it won't happen to them next? I am totally paranoid now that this has happened.
Do you think that there should be an age-minimum for ATVS, and if so, what age?