Boy, 5, who rode off alone on ATV near Spicer and crashed has died

A 5-year-old boy who rode off on an ATV by himself near a west-central Minnesota road and crashed has died, a hospital official said Tuesday.

Wesley Needham, of nearby Kerkhoven, died Monday at Hennepin County Medical Center, said hospital spokeswoman Christine Hill.

Wesley crashed the 700-pound four-wheeler late Saturday afternoon along 42nd Street NE., just to the southwest of George Lake and about 3 miles west of Spicer, according to the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office.

Along with being by himself, the boy was not wearing a helmet when the ATV left the road and overturned, according to Sheriff's Sgt. Eric Tollefson.

A gofundme.com fundraising page set up on behalf of the family said the crash left the boy, who is an organ donor, with "no brain function."

The crash occurred while Wesley was visiting his grandparents' home, according to the West-Central Tribune in Willmar.

Danielle Needham told the newspaper that she's not sure how her son got ahold of the keys to the four-wheeler. "He's very independent, he is gonna take it upon himself to do what he wants," she said. "Everybody knows that this is literally nobody's fault."