Troopers said the off-road vehicle ran a stop sign in rural Waxahachie and struck with a pickup truck, ejecting all four UTV occupants.
Two teenagers were killed and two others critically injured in a collision between an off-road UTV and a pickup vehicle in Waxahachie on Sunday night, according to officials.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said the off-road vehicle, a 2008 Can-Am Defender, was going westbound on Boz Road at the intersection with Greathouse Road. Troopers claimed a 16-year-old girl was driving with a 12-year-old and two 14-year-old passengers.
“It had a stop sign but didn’t stop,” DPS Sgt. William Lockridge said.
The UTV collided with the passenger side of a Ford Ranger pickup truck going north on Greathouse, causing the pickup truck’s air bags to deploy and eject all of the UTV occupants as it rolled. According to DPS, the 12-year-old boy died at the site.
According to medical examiner documents, a 14-year-old kid who was transferred to Cook Children’s in Fort Worth in serious condition died as a result of his injuries on September 20.
The conditions of the other teenagers were not disclosed. A 14-year-old girl was sent to Children’s Hospital in Dallas, while the 16-year-old girl was taken to Baylor Scott & White in Dallas.
Troopers stated that neither the 70-year-old driver of the pickup vehicle nor his wife were seriously hurt. DPS stated that the truck driver had the right of way, did not have a stop sign, and was not at fault.
When reached by phone the day after the disaster, the pickup driver expressed his sympathy to the teenagers and their families.
Troopers stated the UTV is not a street-legal vehicle, and such incidents are becoming much too common.
“This is something that we’re seeing across the state, and it’s a very dangerous trend,” Lockridge told the audience. “While this is a tragedy, we want to take this as a teaching moment to let people know, these things are fun, they’re a lot of fun, but they’re not built to be on public roadways.”
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