Teens injured in ATV crash

WASILLA — Two local teens were rushed to the hospital about 4:40 p.m Monday after rolling a four-wheeler while riding on a trial parallel to Lucille Street near Schrock Road.

The teens, one 17 years old and another whose age wasn’t immediately known at the scene Monday, apparently weren’t wearing helmets when the ATV came over a hill on the trail and rolled several times, said Alaska State Trooper Sgt. Kid Chan. Troopers were still investigating at press time, so Chan couldn’t confirm conclusively helmets were not worn. However, the teens did not have helmets on when emergency responders arrived and helmets hadn’t been found in the area.

When a call came into the Valley’s emergency dispatch center, it was reported one of the teens had suffered severe head trauma, was not breathing and bleeding from the mouth.

Chan wasn’t sure if that person was the driver or passenger and said both were transported by ambulance to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. A spokesperson at the hospital’s emergency department would not give any information on the teens or their conditions.

Chan said with summer vacation in full swing for Valley students, more are out and about riding ATVs, and many don’t take what could be life-saving safety precautions.

“We strongly recommend to always wear protective gear, and that includes the helmet,” he said. “Be very safety conscious and definitely stay off the roadways.”

In the case of Thursday’s accident, the four-wheeler the teens were riding was left on its side several yards from the bottom of a steep hill in the trail. Chan said troopers are investigating to piece together what caused the accident. That includes a scenario where the ATV may have crested the hill with too much speed and lost control coming down.

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Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.