A weekend ATV ride turned into a nightmare on State Route 113 near Sandusky on Saturday afternoon, when a crash with an SUV left two children injured and one fighting for life. The ATV, carrying a 10-year-old driver and a 13-year-old passenger, entered the highway and was hit, officials said. The ATV caught fire, and the SUV later rolled over and struck a utility pole. Both children were rushed to Fisher-Titus Medical Center, and one was flown to a Cleveland children’s hospital in critical condition.
What Troopers Say
According to Cleveland 19, the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Sandusky Post said the crash happened around 1:45 p.m., when the ATV pulled onto eastbound State Route 113 near milepost 10 in Milan Township and was struck by a 2021 Toyota RAV4. Troopers identified the RAV4’s driver as Martin Klenk of Berlin Heights. They said both children were taken to Fisher-Titus Medical Center, and the 13-year-old was later life-flighted to UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital with severe injuries. The patrol said the collision remains under investigation.
Scene and Response
After the impact, the Toyota veered off the roadway, overturned, and hit a utility pole, and the ATV went up in flames, according to WSYX. That report noted it was not immediately clear whether the RAV4 driver required hospital treatment. State Route 113 was temporarily shut down while emergency crews worked the scene and cleared the wreckage.
Safety and Youth ATV Rules
Crashes like this are exactly the kind of scenario medical and safety experts warn about when children operate ATVs on public roads or carry passengers on single-rider machines. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that anyone under 16 should not drive or ride on ATVs and warns that riding on paved public roads significantly increases the risk of severe injury, according to its technical report on youth ATV injuries. Those warnings echo long-standing guidance from federal safety agencies and pediatric trauma specialists.
The highway reopened after the cleanup. Cleveland 19 reports the closure lasted roughly one hour and 50 minutes. Troopers continue to investigate and have asked anyone with information or video of the crash to contact the Sandusky Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
