Feb 7, 2005 2 min read

Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh in 2004 treated 60 youths for trauma injuries sustained in ATV accidents. Two of those children died. Tragically, Brandon Charles Widener, a 13-year-old seventh-grader from Smock, became our area’s first ATV death this year. During the unseasonably warm spell in January, Brandon and his friends did what many kids their age enjoy doing. They jumped onto ATVs. Only it was night. He didn’t have headlights or a helmet. His ATV struck another. Life as we cherish it, came to an end for Brandon and his family that Jan. 13 evening, even though he physically hung on until this week. We offer our sympathy to his family and friends, and know that these wounds are fresh, raw and terribly painful to bear. This child’s death has affected so many, including parents who never knew Brandon but shudder at the thought that this could happen to one of their own. It would be easy to say he should have known to wear a helmet, or that riding at night without lights is foolish. But teens, by nature, are risky and daring. Fortunately, most escape youth’s rashness unscathed. The best that parents can do is set firm rules when it comes to ATV riding, and then strictly enforce them by grounding for any safety violations.