Several people are in the hospital with serious injuries following two separate collisions between recreational vehicles this weekend in North Carolina.
On Friday, April 29, 2011 two children were riding dirt bikes in Mountain Park, N.C. when they crashed into each other head-on. One of them, a ten-year-old, was taken to Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital while the other, only five-years-old, was airlifted to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. The kids are reportedly in stable condition, but they face long roads to recovery after these serious injuries.
In Alamance County, N.C., two men were in a crash that sent them to nearby trauma centers. Charles Clemmons, of Burlington, N.C., was travelling on Stoney Creek Church Road when Frederick Wallace pulled out in front of him on his ATV. Mr. Wallace was attempting to cross the street to check his mailbox when the collision occurred. Both vehicles were totaled and both men went to the hospital via helicopter. Luckily-like the children injured on dirt bikes-these grown ups are in stable condition, too.
It’s always awful to hear about people injured on motor vehicles, but it’s a relief to know these victims are still with their family and friends. Their accidents provide an unfortunate example of the risks people take while riding bikes and ATVs. Proper safety precautions should be used at all times. Since riders cannot use safety belts and restraints like drivers and passengers in automobiles, it’s imperative that riders wear a helmet at all times while operating a dirt bike, motorcycle or ATV regardless of their age or experience.