171 Ashley Ave.
Charleston, SC 29425
843-792-1414
800-424-MUSC
|
 |
Passenger still in critical condition
The Post and Courier
by Jill Coley and Glen Smith
May 20, 2009
A Summerville teen injured in an all-terrain vehicle crash remained hospitalized in critical condition Tuesday as state lawmakers continued to mull new safety restrictions on ATV use.
Kayla Beczynski, 15, was injured Saturday when she and a neighbor were thrown from an ATV that crashed in a wooded area near the Sawmill Branch Trail north of Luden Drive. Beczynski was a passenger on the ATV.
Witnesses told police the ATV appeared to be going too fast for conditions when it left the trail and flipped into the air.
The driver, 32-year-old Katrina Elsworth, told police she took two prescription medications prior to the ride. She said she had taken Adderall, a stimulant commonly used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and Diazepam, a sedative used as anti-anxiety medicine, authorities said.
Beczynski's mother, Carrie Rhymer, told police she didn't know her daughter was riding the ATV with Elsworth.
Summerville police Capt. Jon Rogers said only that the crash remained under investigation. No charges have been filed.
The wreck occurred as state legislators are considering a bill that would set restrictions on ATV use. The measure is dubbed "Chandler's Law," after a 16-year-old boy who was killed in an ATV accident in May 2003. Some 44 states across the nation have ATV safety laws.
The bill would bar children younger than 6 from driving an ATV and limit the engine power for drivers between 6 and 16 years old. The measure would require youths 15 and under to wear safety glasses and helmets while driving or riding on an ATV. Operators 15 and younger also would have to complete a safety course.
The proposal also would bar anyone from operating an ATV in a reckless manner or under the influence of alcohol or other controlled substances.
The bill passed the House in April and hit the Senate floor for debate Friday.
Sen. Paul Campbell, R-Goose Creek, supports the measure despite his reservations about legislating personal freedoms. "I hate to have to require people to do what's common sense," he said. But too many children are being injured, he said, and "the young people need a push."
Gov. Mark Sanford has twice vetoed ATV safety legislation, saying the measures would infringe on property rights and personal freedoms. Sanford also criticized safety courses as a hidden tax on families.
But if those on the front lines of trauma had their way, the legislation would be stricter, said Dr. Chris Streck, a pediatric trauma surgeon at the Medical University of South Carolina.
No one under age 16 and not licensed to drive a car should operate an ATV, he said. Mandating helmets and forbidding passengers also should be law, he said.
In South Carolina, more than 100 people died in ATV crashes between 1982 and 2007, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Of those who died, 28 were children younger than 16, authorities said.
MUSC Children's Hospital treats about 20 children annually with serious injuries following ATV accidents, Streck said. Most ATVs children ride weigh up to 550 pounds and can travel up to 70 mph, a perfect recipe for tragedy, he said.
Saturday's crash reportedly occurred about 7 p.m. as Elsworth was trying to avoid a muddy spot along a trail. She told police she had been stuck in the spot before and swerved to avoid it. The 15-foot embankment gave way, sending the ATV into an adjacent canal, where it came to rest in a foot or so of water, according to a police report.
Witnesses told police the ATV was "going way too fast" before it plunged into the canal. Elsworth's husband later remarked to police that the ATV was in fourth gear when he inspected it after the crash, a report stated.
Katrina Elsworth told officers that Beczynski was not moving after the crash and was turning blue, with blood coming from her mouth and nose. Elsworth had some scratches on her neck but no other visible injuries, police said.
The extent of Beczynski's injuries remained unclear Tuesday. Attempts to reach her family were unsuccessful.
|
|
Print Version