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The importance of ATV safety was evident on Saturday, Feb. 21 when a fatal accident took the life of the driver and injured three very young girls. A 911 call made at 6:45 p.m. reported an accident on North Whitlow Dam Road in Queen Valley. According to the call the all-terrain vehicle had rolled multiple times. The driver was found unconscious but breathing and the three female juvenile passengers were all injured.
PCSO Deputies along with the Queen Valley Fire Department responded to the scene. An air ambulance was also dispatched.
The driver of the Polaris 800 Razor was later identified as Kimberly Charles Hopkins (age 57 of Mesa.) He stopped breathing during treatment and medics immediately began Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Unfortunately Hopkins did not respond and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
There were three female passengers who were all ejected during the crash. A 9-year-old female was transported by air ambulance to a hospital for head injuries, an 8-year-old female was transported to a hospital by ground ambulance for facial injuries and another 9-year-old female was transported by ground ambulance for a broken collar bone.
The investigation determined Hopkins had been driving the Polaris Razor at the time of the crash. The vehicles right side tires went off the roadway and the vehicle tumbled down a 15 to 20 foot hillside. At this time it is not known if alcohol was a factor.
Sheriff Paul Babeu stated, “This all-terrain vehicle was only equipped to carry the driver and one passenger. None of the occupants were seat belted in at the time of the crash. When the vehicle rolled down the hill it landed on top of Hopkins.” He added, “This case is a tragic reminder of the importance of only carrying the number of passengers a vehicle is designed for and to always wear a seatbelt.”
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