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Offline Spanky

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Tragic
« on: May 29, 2009, 01:22:43 PM »
Saw on the news today that a 13 year old kid got killed yesterday driving a Yamaha Rhino. Apparently his parents bought it for him yesterday morning and he was out driving it during the day and crashed in the early afternoon. I hate to say it but I think alot of the blame goes to the parents... the machine was brand new to him and he was riding with no helmet, no seat belt and no adult with him. Police estimated his speed at 40 mph at the time of the crash. The Rhino flipped over and the rollbar came down and broke his neck. It really is a tragedy.


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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Tragic
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2009, 01:57:43 PM »
Tragic yes, but not surprising since it's not the first time.  :-\

Tim

http://www.fox23news.com/news/local/story/New-details-about-vehicle-in-fatal-Knox-accident/nDylNPWPMU-Jh6kvxec24A.cspx


New details about vehicle in fatal Knox accident
   Reported by: Walt McClure
Email: waltmcclure@fox23news.com
Videographer: B. Flynn
Last Update: 4:36 pm


We’re learning new information about the vehicle involved in the accident that killed a 13-year-old Knox boy Thursday night.

It turns out the government has warned about the safety of the utility terrain vehicles, or UTVs, telling owners not to use them without a special fix. 

As Albany County Sheriff's investigators try to piece together what led to 13-year-old James Wyatt Spencer's death when a Yamaha Rhino UTV rolled over on him Thursday night in Knox, they've learned concerns have been raised in recent months about the vehicle's safety.

46 drivers and passengers on these vehicles have died in recent years, most due to rollovers.

Chief Deputy Craig Apple/Albany County Sheriff’s Department: “We understand that there was a free repair offered by Yamaha in an event to keep these rhinos from going over so easily.”

Chief Deputy Craig Apple says the Rhino was sold by Gable Motorsports in Cobleskill, which has provided his office with paperwork showing it made the approved fix - adding spacers to the rear wheels and removing an anti-sway bar.

Chief Deputy Craig Apple: “It could have had something to do with it but we also have to fall back that I think we had an inexperienced operator on this machine, on a downhill grade.  There was a sharp turn to the right which ultimately led to the vehicle going and rolling over.  We also do not have a helmet and we don't believe a seat belt was being utilized.”

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Yamaha have both put information about the repair, or update, on their websites.

On the vehicle itself, it is clearly marked that it is not to be driven by anyone under 16, and there are warning lights that stay on to advise about helmet and seat belt use.

Gable Motorsports owner Jody Gable did not wish to talk on camera, but tells FOX23 News this accident is a shame and that his people did everything by the book.

Jody Gable tells FOX23 News that when you have a vehicle like this, if you use it for its intended purpose, you're not going to have a problem.

He says this is just an unfortunate accident, and the sheriff's department agrees.

Chief Deputy Craig Apple: “It's horrible but again I'm not going to target a certain party.  I think it was a whole collaboration of errors here and unfortunately, it's just a horrible tragedy.”

Craig Apple says they are in contact with Yamaha to get a certified mechanic to take a look at the machine to make sure that the repair was done properly or if there was some other problem with it.

For more information on the safety concerns and the repair, go to:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09172.html

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/outdoor/Rhino_Owner_Info_309.aspx

 

 
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Offline Swampman

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Re: Tragic
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2009, 03:28:35 PM »
Wear a helmet, they save lives.
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Offline Cement Man

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Re: Tragic
« Reply #3 on: May 29, 2009, 03:45:57 PM »
Quote from: Swampman on May 29, 2009, 03:28:35 PM
Wear a helmet, they save lives.

Yes.  But making sure the vehicle is safe, proper supervised training, and operating with common sense and safety in mind has to go with it.  I live out in the country and see quite a few small kids on ATV's that make me cringe.  Last year wife and I were driving a country road and two girls coming towards us on a 4-wheeler towards us ran up the berm and rolled it on top of themselves.  They were bruised and shaken but OK.  First time they had rode it - with no training, no helmets, no nothing.  It was a big machine, I think it was 600cc's.  They were 200 yards away from us when it happened, we were both probably doing less than 20 mph.  They were trying to move to the side, as we were, and they didn't even have the skill to do that.  After checking the girls, I drove to the farmhouse to let their parents know and the mother was cursing up a storm - but it didn't sound like it was out of concern for the kids.  Sounded more like she was worried about that 4X4.  She yelled to her husband after I told her "They rolled the  &%#$@XX 4 wheeler!   &%X$#@&!"  Hmmmm  - great parents.
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Offline Tommyt

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Re: Tragic
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2009, 02:23:55 AM »
A broken Neck ?
No Helmet ?? has nothing to do with a BROKEN NECK

My Pray's this morning are to the Family
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Offline Swampman

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Re: Tragic
« Reply #5 on: May 30, 2009, 03:07:57 AM »
Nope, but helmets save lives.  I wear one even though I don't have to.
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"Brother, you say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit. If there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? Why not all agreed, as you can all read the Book?" Sogoyewapha, "Red Jacket" - Senaca

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Offline Cheesehead

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Re: Tragic
« Reply #6 on: May 30, 2009, 03:16:22 AM »
Quote from: Swampman on May 30, 2009, 03:07:57 AM
Nope, but helmets save lives.  I wear one even though I don't have to.


You are wearing a hat in your pictures.

Cheese
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Offline Swampman

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Re: Tragic
« Reply #7 on: May 30, 2009, 03:22:34 AM »
.
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"Brother, you say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit. If there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? Why not all agreed, as you can all read the Book?" Sogoyewapha, "Red Jacket" - Senaca

1st Special Operations Wing 1975-1983
919th Special Operations Wing  1983-1985 1993-1994

"Manus haec inimica tyrannis / Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem" ~Algernon Sidney~

Offline Questor

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Re: Tragic
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2009, 03:48:01 AM »
Back in the 70s I was a Honda mechanic and we used to sell "ATC" 3-wheelers that were very popular with hunters. They were really great little cycles, but there was a learning curve to using them and controlling them. It took some body english to steer them and the 90cc model was pretty powerful. Every once in a while somebody would kill themselves because they didn't bother to learn to use it properly, or ran it too fast before learning to control it. That eventually led to the discontinuation of those products. 

This Rhino type vehicle is similar. I think there's a psychological thing about it where people don't take them seriously. People give them to kids to use. The first thing people should be learning with these fine vehicles is to go slow, very slow. Only after mastering slow speed operation should they be speeding up.


I'm sure the dealers and the manuals are telling new owners to take a class and to heed the operation warnings. All the dealers I know will do a training session with new owners.

Even my Ford Explorer has an entry in the manual about how an SUV doesn't handle like a car and can't be cornered as hard as a car can.
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Safety first

Offline Spanky

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Re: Tragic
« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2009, 07:24:11 AM »
Great post Questor and right on the money.
There are alot of free safety courses offered to ATV and UTV riders... unfortunately some folks don't take advantage of them.
Even experienced riders can use a refresher from time to time as ATV/UTV designs change and engines become more and more powerful.
A little extra knowledge never hurts but a lack of knowledge can kill you.



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Offline Sourdough

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Re: Tragic
« Reply #10 on: May 30, 2009, 07:42:05 AM »
I see it every day, parents go out and buy a new 4 wheeler or UTV and turn it over to the kids.  Within three days it's been rolled, and kid hurt.  Usually not too bad, just skinned and scrapped.  But every once in a while the kid gets killed.  Up here kids ride them more than adults, and when they go to buy one the kids know more than the parents about what the features are.  All the kids want one because their friends have one and ride it everywhere.

Look out for that new Razer, it's a UTV that looks like it is set up for racing.  That is now the craze for the young set.
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Offline BlkHawk73

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Re: Tragic
« Reply #11 on: May 30, 2009, 07:42:41 AM »
  I'd put ALL the blame on the parents.  1) machine is too large and powerful for a young kid.  2) no helmet?  May not have helped in this case but regardless it shows a LOT of irresponsibility on their part.  3) brand new machine and they let him loose.  Heck even an adult should be familiar with the thing before heading off to play.

  Sadly with the safety board cracking down the whole lead content/kid's stuff thing, the youth ATV's and dirt bikes are likely to be gone so parents will do as they idiots did, put a youth on a adult machine.  Will be more of this tragedy coming I bet.
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Offline Sourdough

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Re: Tragic
« Reply #12 on: May 30, 2009, 08:39:20 AM »
This what got the three wheelers killed.  Parents going out and buying a three wheeler and giving it to a kid, who went out and got killed or severely injured.

Now let's see how the government handles this one.  Will they do the sensible thing and require only drivers over the age of 16, or do as they have done in the past and decide to eliminate the dangerous vehicle.
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Offline Default

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Re: Tragic
« Reply #13 on: May 30, 2009, 09:00:03 AM »
This is sad to say the least , No parent wants to bury their child ... I can not be more thankful for good spirits watching after my awnry ass , since this could have very well been me .. I live, breathed and ate off road, dirt bikes, ATVs ( old three wheelers) growing up and more currently 4 wheelers ...

 But you know Life is full of accidents and tragedies , and you can only go so far with finger pointing and blame placing , We are not all the same here But we are guys that remember what it was like to be boys , and Boys will test the limits ... And it sounds like that is what this young man was doing ... Even if Mom and Dad had been up his butt for the first month he operated it , He would eventually been cut loose with it on his own sooner or later ... Or God Forbid When Mom and Dad werent home  ( used to ride the three wheelers around the back yard when i got home from school before anyone else was home) Cause you know us boys arent mischiveious or anything ... It couldnt break my heart more that people just wanting to give their kid the things that they might not have had growing up, get to bury their son ...

 But never forget we are Boys and we will play wether it is wise or not , And accidents will happen ....


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Offline Cheesehead

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Re: Tragic
« Reply #14 on: May 30, 2009, 05:46:24 PM »
Too much emphasis is placed on helmets. Wear a helmet and everything will be ok? Soon there will be more "feel good" laws for helmets and unsafe behavior will go unchecked and even more people will die.

Cheese
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Offline Redtail1949

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Re: Tragic
« Reply #15 on: May 30, 2009, 06:46:26 PM »
Several years back, a good friend of mine age 38 years with 3 kids and a wife was completely paralysed when he flipped his 4X4 ATV and it broke his neck. It has nothing to do with a helment but mostly the realization by anyone that these can and do flip over on steep grades and the weight is so much that bad things happen. The first thing most owners will do is try the baddest hill they find believing that nothing can or will happen to them not once considering what can happen. That is to include so called adults.

I do not think any kid should have one, however, being a realistic person I know they will. The parents should never let there kids off on there own with one. The parents I have seen even challege their children to hill climbs, seamingly oblivious to the fate that can be just seconds away. We know they will let them go off on their own and we know what kids will do and so the tragedy of broken necks, backs, and death will continue.

They have go uses if used sensibly and responsibly but in most cases they are not.
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