An 11-year-old boy was at the wheel of a utility vehicle overloaded with kids when it crashed on a rural road in northwestern Minnesota as nightfall approached, authorities said Thursday.
The boy operating the Polaris Ranger utility task vehicle was hurt, as were the eight others riding along Tuesday night on 560th Avenue in Runeberg Township, according to Becker County Sheriff Todd Glander.
Five of the children were taken by ambulance to a Detroit Lakes hospital, three were taken to a Park Rapids hospital, and a 6-year-old boy was flown to a hospital in Fargo that is better equipped to treat serious injuries, Glander said.
The sheriff said "everybody's going to be fine" and described the injuries as primarily "scrapes and bruises." The one child went to Fargo under the utmost caution, he said.
The 11-year-old swerved to avoid hitting a dog, and that sent the vehicle tipping on its side, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Glander said he's familiar with that model of vehicle, and it typically has seating for two or three and a flatbed in the back.
Also, the sheriff said, children under 12 are not permitted to drive that type of vehicle and other ATVs on public roads in Minnesota. Children 12-15 can operate ATVs with proper certification and if accompanied by an adult.
Glander declined to say who owns the vehicle but added that they are investigating whether any charges need to be filed in connection with the crash.
