2 hurt in Monongah ATV crash

The Marion County Sheriff's Department is investigating a Sunday ATV crash that injured two people riding on a trail between Monongah's Tower Hill Road and the West Fork River Trail.

One wound up at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown.  The other person went to an area hospital. No names were released.

The Monongah Volunteer Fire Department responded.

In the 1960s West Virginia led the nation in per capita ATV deaths, 8 times the national 6average. 83% of the 250 deaths happened to West Virginia residents.

From 1982 to 2014 there were 13,617 deaths in America caused by ATV activities. More than 600 die every year using ATVs. Nearly 100,000 are injured badly enough to require emergency health treatment.

ATV’s keep West Virginia No. 1

ATV’s continue to wrack up deaths and injuries in West Virginia, No. 1 nationally in deaths and serious injuries caused by ATV accidents. The latest happened in Rachel on Saturday night.

Howard Wingrove of Pennsylvania struck a guardrail on Sunshine Road at Blackshere and was thrown from the ATV. Wingrove is in stable condition in WVU’s Ruby Memorial Hospital.

West Virginia leads the nation in per-capita fatalities from ATV accidents. There have been 588 reported ATV deaths in West Virginia since 1982, including 66 to children under 16.

 

Kentucky and Pennsylvania have higher ATV death totals, but West Virginia is No. 1 in per-capita ATV deaths.

 

Two-thirds of West Virginia’s ATV crashes happen on public roads. Tourists tend to stick to the trails more.

 

250 died in West Virginia ATV accidents in 1999-2006, including 215 West Virginia residents.

 

 

From 2007 to 2011, 1,701 ATV riders died in crashes on public roads in the USA — about 340 a year. Two-thirds of all fatal ATV crashes occur on public or private roads.

Like motorcyles, which my family rode for years (we had 4 at one time), ATVs are fun to ride, but you pay a price for carelessness or unexpected events.

Kathryn Toothman Crim, Class of 1950, and her mate, Doc Blevins, who own adjoining 40-acre properties in Farwell, Michigan, rode them for years and had plenty of fun but few broken bones or worse. Kathryn doesn’t ride her ATV any more, but she does bag deer on her property during hunting season.

Having five children, eight grandchildren and six-grandchildren hasn’t slowed Kathryn down much at all.

Dead WVU frat pledge, 18, tested 6 times the legal alcohol limit

Further investigation by the Morgantown Police Department involving the death of West Virginia University student Nolan Burch has revealed that Burch, along with 19 other fraternity pledges of Kappa Sigma, were participating in an initiation function referred to as "Big-Little" the night of the incident, according to Morgantown Chief of Police Ed Preston.

According to medical tests performed on Burch following the incident, it was found that Burch's blood alcohol level was 0.493, more than six times the legal limit for a person 21 years of age. Burch was 18 at the time of his death.

The investigation revealed that Burch, along with the other pledges, were taken into a room in the fraternity, blindfolded and then led to another location at 305 Glendon Street by fraternity members. The pledges were then presented to the "big," which is a senior member or alumnus of Kappa Sigma, and presented with a bottle of liquor, according to the news release.

Burch was later taken back to 200 Belmar Avenue due to his very high level of intoxication and was laid on a table. At approximately 11:50 p.m., another member of Kappa Sigma observed that Burch's face was turning blue, and he tried to wake him up, said police. At approximately 11:52 p.m., the first officer on scene of the incident found an individual performing CPR on Burch, who was on the floor without any pulse or respiration, according to the news release. The officer continued to perform CPR until arrival of emergency medical personnel.

Detectives of the Morgantown Police Department have conducted dozens of interviews, reviewed footage from a number of security cameras and reviewed cell phone evidence, said police, and the investigation is currently under review by the Monongalia County Prosecutor's Office. The medical examiners report is also still pending.

A determination of criminal charges will be made following the final review by the prosecutor's office, authorities said.

Another ATV victim flown to WVU’s Ruby Hospital

The latest in a long line of ATV victims in West Virginia was flown to Ruby Memorial Hospital (WVU Medical Center) Wednesday after a 10 p.m. accident on Braden Drive in Mannington.  

Two weeks ago Tristan, the grandson of Monongah High Alumni Association president Linda Lopez Gandy, Class of 1965, married to Jim Gandy, broke his leg in an ATV accident on Fairmont’s Chesapeake Road and was flown to Ruby.

West Virginia leads the nation in per-capita fatalities from ATV accidents. There have been 588 reported ATV deaths in West Virginia since 1982, including 66 to children under 16.

Kentucky and Pennsylvania have higher ATV death totals, but West Virginia is No. 1 in per-capita ATV deaths.

Two-thirds of West Virginia’s ATV crashes happen on public roads. Tourists tend to stick to the trails more.

250 died in West Virginia ATV accidents in 1999-2006, including 215 West Virginia residents.

From 2007 to 2011, 1,701 ATV riders died in crashes on public roads in the USA — about 340 a year. Two-thirds of all fatal ATV crashes occur on public or private roads.