LAFAYETTE, LA. — A 37 year-old woman was killed late Saturday night in Iberia Parish after riding an ATV through a dark sugarcane field and slamming into a flatbed trailer. Investigators say because of the darkness she likely didn't see the obstacle that also critically injured another woman. Less than twenty four hours later in St. Mary Parish, a father and son were on an SUV that also crashed causing critical injuries to the nine year-old boy and leaving the father with non-life threatening injuries.
"The severity of an injury is highly dependent on the speed of the vehicle, so just take caution when you're operating them, make sure you're going at a reasonable speed so you can stop, avoid obstacles and if you're thrown off, you wont be seriously injured", says Ashley Moran, a Planner with the Acadiana Planning Commission. Last year there were nearly 30 ATV crashes in Acadiana, two people were killed and more than two thirds suffered injuries. Already this year, there have been nearly twenty crashes with more than half of the riders suffering injuries. Moran says these accidents are avoidable, "if you're getting one I highly recommend you take a class on its proper operation of your particular ATV and like, where and when you should be riding it."
For more information on ATV and off-road safety click HERE.
