Three Die in Indiana ATV Accident

 Posted on August 10, 2013 in Personal Injury

A tragic ATV accident claimed three lives in early August, two of which were toddlers, according to the chtribune. The one-year-old boy, Jaylen Rawls, of Harvey, "was a passenger on the single-seat Polaris ATV that crashed into a concrete wall near the west central Indiana town of Center Point," according to the Tribune. A two-year-old girl, Nevaeh Dempsey, of Indianapolis, was also killed in the crash. Andrea Allen, 22, was piloting the ATV when the accident occurred, and, according to the Tribune, "conservation officers said the preliminary investigation suggests alcohol and excessive speed could have contributed to the crash." Allen was also killed in the fiery accident, which consumed the vehicle and the bodies, according to a news release issued by Indiana Conservation Officers. Before the crash occurred, officers in Clay County "received reports of an off-road vehicle being driven recklessly," according to the Tribune. It was only moments later that emergency crews were called to the scene. According to WISHTV.com, two-year-old Xavier Rawls survived the crash because a man, Franklin Davis, risked his own safety to pull the young child out of the blaze. Davis told WISHTV that "I could hear a little moaning and I saw a glimpse out of the corner of my eye, and I could see this other child laying down there fire shooting out over his head and I just jumped off in there man and grabbed him by the leg tucked him up under my arms and pulled him back out." The news channel reports that this brings the tally of deaths incurred by reckless driving on an ATV to 12 this year. The total number of fatalities last year in the region was 15, according to WISHTV. In 2010, there were a reported 590 deaths because of ATV accidents, according to ATVSafety.gov. That's about 130 less than the estimated number of all ATV deaths, which include accidents that weren't reported and also deaths resultant of injuries sustained in an accident. That same year there were an estimated 115,000 injuries sustained in ATV accidents that were treated in the emergency room. If you or someone you know has been injured in an ATV accident, you may be eligible for compensation. Don't go through it alone. Contact a dedicated Chicago-area accident attorney today.