A thirteen year-old is dead after he was riding with three other people in a utility terrain vehicle that crashed on Saturday. It happened around 10:00 in the morning in West Mead Township in Crawford County.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, one other passenger had minor injuries and the other two had no injuries. The driver of the Polaris UTV was driving on Shartle Road and turned a curve, the vehicle rolled onto the passenger side and the thirteen year-old was thrown from the vehicle. He was taken to Meadville Medical Center where he later died.



A utility terrain vehicle is popular for camping, farming and recreation. But experts said the vehicles must be used safely. "We say accidents don't happen, not when they are driven conservatively", said Mark Aleksandrowicz, the General Manager and Partner of Alek's Powersports

"In so many words, people are buying this stuff for family use, the kids are driving it whether the parents know it or not and unfortunately bad things happen", said Aleksandrowicz.


Drivers must be sixteen years-old. But that warning is often ignored. A fourteen year-old was driving a utv on Saturday when the vehicle crashed. 


Although there are warnings, making sure people have helmets on, their seat belts are properly fastened and making sure they are of age to drive, officials at Alek's Powersports said that still doesn't stop people from making decisions that could have some deadly consequences.


According to Pennsylvania State Police no one was wearing helmets or seat belts during the crash. It's a trend that Aleksandrowicz has seen far too often, "But you are supposed to have a helmet, seat belts on, you are supposed to drive within your limits, the terrain, certain vehicles have limits and then there is the age restriction and we just know so much of this stuff isn't followed."


He said that when operated under the right circumstances a utv can be fun and a good tool, but sometimes safety isn't on everyone's minds. "Normally when speeds are slow, not everyone is going to wear a helmet, but if you have the seat belts are on and the speeds are slow, and you are reasonable, there aren't any accidents", said Aleksandrowicz.