Deaths of 10-year-old girls and 13-year-old boy underscore the need for ATV safety precautions

Mary Divine, Pioneer Press
Updated ·5 min read

The deaths this weekend of two 10-year-old girls and a 13-year-old boy involving all-terrain vehicle accidents is the latest reminder of the safety precautions that need to be taken with the four-wheelers, authorities say.

On Saturday, two 10-year-old girls died in an ATV crash on private property in Afton. First responders and deputies were called around 5 p.m. to the property in the 1000 block of Neal Avenue South. They found the girls trapped under an ATV and attempted life-saving measures, but the girls were pronounced dead at the scene,according to the Washington County sheriff’s office.

There was no adult accompanying them, sources say, and it was not clear whether the girls were wearing helmets. Their names were not released on Monday, pending family notification.

About 40 miles north, also on Saturday, authorities in Chisago County were called to the scene of an ATV rollover accident involving Mason Lee Demenge, 13, of Chisago City, in Lent Township. The accident, on Kale Avenue off Ivywood Trail, was reported at 12:20 p.m.

Mason, who was wearing a helmet, was flown to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where he later died.

Mason was a student at Chisago Lakes Middle School, according to an online fundraiser organized on the family’s behalf. As of Monday night, the fundraiser had raised more than $8,000 towards a $10,000 goal.

According to his family, Mason was a “sweet, caring soul … (who) loved being outdoors, riding his sled, riding four wheelers, going fishing with his stepdad and his friends.”

“During the summer, you would always find him with his friends at the beach or on the lake,” his mother, Kristina Puffer, told KARE-11. “He will be greatly missed by so many people. I hope this will raise awareness to younger kids that you have to be careful when you are out riding. We are completely heartbroken and will miss his goofy personality around us every day. I hope other parents will look at this as a reminder to love and protect your little ones every day, teach them the dangers of riding ATVs and make sure they know to be careful. Mason has been riding for years, and one time he had an accident and left this world.”

School officials said Monday that counselors are available to meet this week with students affected by his death.

“We are deeply saddened by the devastating news that Mason Demenge, a student at CLMS, passed away this weekend,” Superintendent Dean Jennissen said in a statement. “Our thoughts and sympathies are with his family and all those who knew Mason. He will be deeply missed by many in our school and community.”

Safety course

In Minnesota, anyone can drive an ATV on private property. But to legally drive one on public property, young people ages 12 to 15 must be supervised by an adult and have a valid ATV safety certificate.

To obtain the certificate, the youth must take an online ATV Safety training course, followed by a test on a hands-on ATV driving course, said Bruce Lawrence, recreational vehicle coordinator with the division of enforcement for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

“We recommend all riders complete an ATV safety course, regardless of whether the law requires it,” he said.

In 2022, there were 22 fatal accidents involving ATVs in Minnesota. None of the riders had an ATV safety certificate, though many of them were of an age where certificates were required, Lawrence said. Three of the fatalities involved drivers between the ages of 4 and 17; a 12-year-old passenger also was killed, he said.

There were 21 fatal crashes in 2021; one of the riders had ATV safety certification, according to DNR records.

Safely operating an ATV “comes down to rider experience and ability to operate the machine,” Lawrence said. “You’ve got to recognize that they can go fast.”

Adults should always know where their ATVs are located, who is riding them and where they are riding. They should also make sure that everyone on board is wearing a helmet, he said.

Many ATV accidents involving young people reported to the DNR “are life-altering, but they are not fatalities,” Lawrence said. “A helmet would have changed that outcome because of head trauma. We see a lot of accidents where (kids) are ejected and roll over. A helmet would have saved a lot of needless medical and life-changing events.”

Practicing riding

Ron Potter, president of the ATV Association of Minnesota, one of the largest riders groups in the country with 12,000 members, said it’s important for young ATV riders to practice riding, especially in the spring after so many months away from the machines.

“They need to learn and get comfortable with them all over again,” said Potter, a former certified safety instructor who used to teach the youth safety course offered by the DNR. “It’s time well-spent making sure they are comfortable with the operation before they get out on their own. After being cooped up all winter, it’s worth it to take the time to make sure they are familiar with the operation once again and have all their safety equipment.”

Adults must understand whether youth riders are capable of handling an ATV, he said.

“Kids are so different, as you know,” he said. “I’ve got some grandkids who are 10, 11 years old, and I would feel totally comfortable with them operating alongside of me, and there are others I wouldn’t think of putting them on a machine by themselves. It’s understanding the capabilities of those children and making sure that we’re not asking them to do more than they are capable of.”

The ATVs accidents that happened on Saturday were “tragic,” Potter said. “Our condolences go out to the families.”

Minnesota has done excellent job when it comes to teaching ATV safety, according to Potter. “We have one of the best safety courses in the nation,” he said. “That’s why this is so tragic. It’s very unfortunate, but I don’t know what we could do law-wise that would make a major change to this. Again, it’s just being aware.”

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