Two teens hurt on ATVs; they'll be cited, police say

Written by The Morning Call

Monday, April 12, 2010

John J. Moser

Two teenage girls from New Jersey who police say were riding all-terrain vehicles illegally on a Monroe County road were injured when one rolled over while trying to make a U-turn and the other, following her, swerved and hit a telephone pole, police said Sunday.

Jamie R. Rodriguez, 16, of Avenel was driving an ATV on Flagstaff Lane near Coolbaugh Road in Middle Smithfield Township at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday when she tried to make a U-turn at a high speed and overturned, state police at Swiftwater said.

Stephanie Rodriguez, 17, of Colonia who was directly behind her on another ATV, swerved to avoid her, drove off the road and hit the pole, police said. She was thrown off the vehicle and hit her head on the pole. She was not wearing a helmet and was taken by helicopter to St. Luke's Hospital-Fountain Hill, with moderate head injuries, police said.

Jamie Rodriguez, who was wearing a helmet, was taken to Pocono Medical Center- East Stroudsburg, where she was treated for minor face and leg injuries and released, police said.

Both will be cited for operating ATVs on public highways, and the ATVs' owner, who was not identified, will be cited for letting them be driven on a road without proper registration or insurance, police said.

Source: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/police/all-3atvcrash.7236363apr12,0,1114166.story

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Community Voices

“We’ve had success bringing illegal riders to justice by snapping photos of their ID stickers. The problem in California is that they’re too darn small to see from far away or at high speeds. While I’m normally not in favor of the government getting involved in things, requiring all ORVs to have a visible ID with a minimum size and standard location would make them an even better tool for property owners to identify trespassing riders. We should also look to Wyoming’s lead and make trespassing penalties clear so riders think twice before they head off designated trails and onto my land.”

- Mesonika Piecuch, private property owner, Kern County, CA