Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Boy, 11, killed in ATV crash
Reforms overdue, advocates say
GLENN OGILVIE / THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES Enlarge Image
Many ATV accidents could be avoided if drivers were properly trained and regulated, safety groups argue.
Experts say Manitoba needs to impose tougher ATV regulations after an 11-year-old Portage la Prairie boy was killed when an off-road vehicle crashed on Friday.
RCMP said two 11-year-old boys were operating a large, two-seater ATV on a farm east of Portage la Prairie around 3:30 p.m. Friday when the vehicle flipped over. The passenger escaped without injury, but the 11-year-old boy who was driving was trapped under the overturned vehicle.
Litany of tragedy
In Manitoba, there have been several serious ATV crashes over the last two years:
April 28, 2010
Four children were taken to hospital after an ATV loaded with children veered off a gravel path in La Broquerie. Injured in the accident were the 13-year-old driver and his passengers, a 10-year-old girl, a two-year-old boy and a one-year-old infant. None of the children was wearing a helmet.
April 19, 2010
A 26-year-old man died and two people were taken to hospital in serious condition following a collision of two all-terrain vehicles near Grunthal. The four-wheeler driven by a 26-year-old wearing a helmet rear-ended a second, stationary four-wheeler being ridden by a 30-year-old couple, neither of whom was wearing a helmet.
Sept. 12, 2009
An 80-year-old Manitou-area farmer was found dead after being pinned under his ATV while checking his crops. Family found the victim at about 6:30 p.m. after he failed to return home on time. He was not wearing a helmet.
April 16, 2009
A 43-year-old man was killed in the RM of Alonsa. His body was found lying on the road and an ATV was in the water-filled ditch.
June 2, 2008
A 20-year-old man was killed when his ATV crashed into a police vehicle owned by the Shamattawa First Nation. The driver and his two 13-year-old passengers were thrown from the ATV. None was wearing helmets, RCMP said.
June 13, 2008
A 19-year-old man from Carman was killed when the ATV he was driving north on Provincial Road 32 toward Haywood collided with a southbound pickup truck about 9:45 p.m. The occupants of the truck were not injured.
Aug. 31, 2008
A 41-year-old man was killed when his ATV rolled in the Interlake north of Gimli.
Oct. 19, 2008
Two Saskatchewan men in their 30s died after crashing an all-terrain vehicle near Swan River, 500 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. Their quad ATV was travelling through a farming area when it drove off a steep embankment and crashed into the ground below. Both riders were wearing helmets at the time of collision.
RCMP Const. Miles Hiebert said emergency crews arrived within minutes, and the boy was rushed to Portage General Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
It appears the boys may have hit a slope in the ground, causing the large, heavy vehicle to flip over, he said. Hiebert could not confirm if the boys were wearing helmets or if speed was a factor. Police are continuing their investigation.
Hiebert said the tragedy is the latest in a slew of serious ATV crashes involving children, and warned Manitoba adults that off-road vehicles can be extremely dangerous for youth.
"There has been a number of (accidents) this summer and the trend has been disturbing to say the least," Hiebert said.
"This family has paid a terrible price for the tragic consequences of their actions, but I think adults need to give a lot of thought about who is driving these off-road vehicles."
Safety Services Manitoba president Mike Waite said the number of recreational ATV users has ballooned in Manitoba in the past few years, but few people take courses to learn how to properly drive them to avoid injury.
In 2005, Safety Services was part of a group that asked the provincial government to establish tougher standards for the licensing and training of drivers of off-road vehicles such as ATVs and snowmobiles, off-road vehicle registration and the enforcement of any new legislation.
Waite said nothing happened, and Manitoba still allows children to operate ATVs under adult supervision.
"At some point we're going to have to do something," Waite said.
"It's unfortunate to have all these people seriously injured or killed. It can be avoided."
Waite said he expects more people will continue to be injured in ATV accidents until the province makes it a priority to impose tougher safety standards. He said some Atlantic provinces have enacted mandatory safety training for all ATV riders.
A 2007 Canadian Institute of Health Information report found the number of Manitobans admitted to hospital because of all-terrain vehicle accidents has surged by 25 per cent over the last decade. The report found that teenagers and young adults, males in particular, are at the highest risk of sustaining an ATV-related injury.
"The unfortunate part is people think, 'It's not going to happen to us,' " Waite said.
Hiebert agrees, and said safety information and education about the risks of ATVs exist, but it's difficult for officials to get the message across to the public.
Hiebert said it's too early to say whether the boy's parents could face any charges.
"I suppose that is a possibility, but it's far too early to consider that," he said.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 29, 2010 A3
-
WFP Hockey
Download our new hockey app for the iPhone for Winnipeg Jets updates
-
Editor's Bulletin
Sign up for daily bulletins from editor Margo Goodhand
-
Winnipeg Jets
All things NHL on our Jets landing page
-
Twitter
Follow our reporters and our news feeds on Twitter
-
News Cafe
Check out the menu, read our blog posts or get info on coming events
-
Facebook Fanpage
Follow our Facebook Fanpage for story links, contests and special events
Ads by Google
- Back to Top
- Return to Latest News
Poll
Most Popular
- Piers Morgan blasts 'gruesome' Madonna
- RCMP receptionist told Stobbe wife was dead
- Search is on for man seen leaving the scene where two Alberta Mounties were shot
- City family donates $1 million for endowed research chair in cardiology
- Province rules out reports of cougar in Transcona
- Cabela's to open massive store just west of IKEA site
- US teen gets life in prison for killing 9-year-old; called the murder "pretty enjoyable"
- Slain woman appears before jury on video
- Census 2011 : Immigrant influx boosts Manitoban population
- CNN's Roland Martin suspended for comments that sparked protest by gays
- Piers Morgan blasts 'gruesome' Madonna
- Clothing chain pulls Caterpillar boots to protest closure of London, Ont., plant
- Three winning tickets sold for Friday's $50 million Lotto Max jackpot
- Woman sexually assaulted during noon-hour in Exchange District
- Woman's car stolen at gunpoint at St. Vital mall, police say
- Eleven people killed after truck hits van in southwestern Ontario
- 'This is so silly': Mom and Dad tell story of baby Zade, born on side of Highway 59
- Stobbe said slaying during shopping trip 'strange': sister-in-law
- Tactical squad storms St. Vital house
- Restaurant Dubrovnik may be closed for good
- Do you smoke marijuana?
- Driver dead after SUV goes over Disraeli Bridge
- George Clooney's prank could end Pitt's career
- Piers Morgan blasts 'gruesome' Madonna
- Tina Maze strips down to her sports bra to send out underwear message: 'Not your business'
- Clothing chain pulls Caterpillar boots to protest closure of London, Ont., plant
- Minor earthquake strikes near Manitoba
- Car's plunge off Disraeli fatal
- Two children, two women die in fire
- Kate Beckinsale's weight fears over Underworld catsuit
- Harper driven by libertarian ideology, not reality
- Cabela's to open massive store just west of IKEA site
- Tassimo brewers and espresso packages recalled amid rupture, burn concerns
- Task force to review 2011 flood
- Winnipeg software company ranked top employer
- Pardon application fee to quadruple later this month despite complaints
- Province rules out reports of cougar in Transcona
- OMG! Candy kings back at it
- Lesson about war, power told with Shaw's comic touch
- Easy, economical, healthy soup
- Swedish bunny's sheep herding skills becomes click-monster on YouTube
- League encourages hazing secrecy
- Northern fishing lodge destroyed by fire
- Police target drivers talking on cellphones, texting
- Harper driven by libertarian ideology, not reality
- Obama torn by conflicting allies
- 'This is so silly': Mom and Dad tell story of baby Zade, born on side of Highway 59
- Time, it appears, is on Assad's side
- Woman's car stolen at gunpoint at St. Vital mall, police say
- Bridging the gap between suburbs
- Minor earthquake strikes near Manitoba
- Paddler Starkell was modern-day voyageur
- Driver dead after SUV goes over Disraeli Bridge
- Car's plunge off Disraeli fatal
- Canadian woman 'badly injured' in Mexico, local media report apparent beating
- Winnipeg mother watches as car stolen with child inside
- Swedish bunny's sheep herding skills becomes click-monster on YouTube
- League encourages hazing secrecy
- Local shooting spoofed on SNL
- The cost of calories: It's expensive to eat healthily
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.