Take Care While Riding ATV's

With warmer weather comes more outdoor recreational activities and in the past week alone, two young females have lost their lives in all-terrain-vehicle accidents.

Ryan Elijah spoke to Department of Natural Resources officials and also visited Heritage High School where students are grieving the loss of a classmate.

The administration at Heritage Junior-Senior High School said their focus was on meeting emotional needs of students this morning after 15-year-old Freshman Chelsea Hart lost her life last week in an off-road vehicle crash. The three passengers were all Heritage students and were riding the same 4-wheel Gator-type vehicle near this driveway when it flipped. Chelsea was remembered as a student that always had a smile on her face.

Heritage Principal Chris Hissong said, "She was well-liked. She was well respected. I can still see her smile in the lunchroom. It's extremely difficult, she was a great young lady."

Grief counselors were on hand at Heritage Monday morning as students returned from their spring break vacation. The school will also provide transportation tomorrow for any student that wishes to attend the funeral.

Just three days after the accident in Monroeville, 23-year-old Abigail Hamilton also died after an ATV crash Friday night in Orland.

Rodney Clear of the Department of Natural Resources says the accidents are a tragic reminder about safety as more off-road vehicles come out in warmer weather. One common theme from both accidents was multiple riders on the vehicles.

Clear says, "Most of the machines are meant for one rider only and when you have two or three people on them, no matter what size they are. The problem is you have a sudden shift in weight when you make a turn."

Along with wearing helmets, Clear says it's important to be familiar with the territory...and fit all young riders with a suitable machine and to reduce speed at night.

In Indiana, a license is only required if the vehicle is used on public roads, but all riders under 14 must be supervised by an adult.

A funeral service for Chelsea Hart will be held Tuesday morning at St. John Flatrock Church in Monroeville and grief counselors will again be available for Heritage students.

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Source: http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/90672479.html

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