A 5-year-old girl is dead and another child remains hospitalized after a UTV packed with eight juveniles rolled over in a grassy field in Little Compton, Rhode Island, on Sunday afternoon, throwing every occupant from the vehicle. The 16-year-old who was behind the wheel now faces felony driving to endanger charges tied to the girl's death and to a second child's serious injuries.
Rollover Ejects All Eight Juveniles Aboard
Little Compton police responded to the crash at 530 Long Highway around 1:55 p.m. Sunday, according to WJAR. Investigators say the 16-year-old had been operating the UTV in a grassy field with seven juvenile passengers aboard when the driver lost control, causing the vehicle to roll over and eject everyone inside. First responders assessed and treated all eight juveniles at the scene.
The 5-year-old girl who died was rushed to Saint Anne's Hospital in Fall River, Massachusetts, where she was later pronounced dead from injuries sustained in the crash, per the station's report. A second 5-year-old girl was taken to Hasbro Children's Hospital and is listed in serious but stable condition, the same account notes. The remaining six juveniles were treated for injuries at the scene, according to the report.
Teen Driver Held Overnight, Faces Two Felony Counts
The 16-year-old operator is now facing charges of driving to endanger resulting in death and driving to endanger resulting in serious bodily injury, per the same account. Under Rhode Island General Laws § 31-27-1, driving to endanger resulting in death carries a statutory maximum of up to 10 years in prison and a license suspension of up to five years, according to the Rhode Island Judiciary. The companion charge under § 31-27-1.1, tied to the second child's serious injuries, carries penalties of up to five years imprisonment and a license suspension of up to three years, as outlined by Justia Law.
Following the crash, the teen was held overnight at the Rhode Island Training School, the state's sole secure correctional facility for juveniles awaiting court appearances, which is operated by the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families. Open questions remain about whether an adult was present supervising the ride or whether the UTV was equipped with seat belts or safety harnesses, details that have not been addressed in reporting so far.
A Private Farm, Outside Public Road Rules
State business records identify the crash site as Maurolou Family Farm, LLC, a registered limited liability company encompassing farm pastures and campsite grounds in Newport County, according to the Rhode Island Secretary of State. Rhode Island's off-highway vehicle registration and use rules apply to UTVs, while allowing riding on private property; the state's criminal driving-to-endanger statutes still apply regardless of whether a crash occurs on public or private land.
Rhode Island law under § 31-3.2 requires off-road vehicles like UTVs to be registered with the Department of Environmental Management and bars them from public highways except to cross them directly, while operators between 12 and 15 years old must be accompanied by an adult, per Tapalian Law. The state does not allow UTVs to be registered for regular street use and maintains no public off-road trails or OHV parks, leaving private property as the near-exclusive option for off-road riding statewide, according to a comparison from Ride Legal.
A Rollover With Multiple Young Occupants
The Little Compton crash involved a UTV rollover that ejected all eight juvenile occupants.
Eight juveniles were aboard the UTV.
