UNION, Mo. – The Union community is mourning the loss of a 13-year-old boy killed in a utility vehicle crash late Tuesday afternoon.
The Union School District confirmed the 13-year-old boy was an eighth-grade student at Union Middle, leaving the school community in shock and disbelief as the teen’s life was cut short too soon.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the deadly crash happened around 6 p.m. near Sandstone Trail. According to the crash report, three 13-year-olds were riding a Polaris Ranger utility vehicle northbound in a field when the driver failed to make a left turn, causing the UTV to overturn. The 13-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
“As far as laws go, when it pertains to UTVs, while on the roadway, it has to be operated by a licensed driver,” Cpl. Logan Bolton, Missouri State Highway Patrol, said. “But when it comes to private property, there is no age limit.”
The two other teens involved in the crash are expected to recover.
Kurt Bird, a farmer in the area, is familiar with these vehicles.
“Ten years ago, we had an incident on the farm; a little boy got killed. He was on a 4-wheeler, with his father,” Bird said.
Bird said drivers should always use safety precautions when operating a UTV.
“They’re gone. And over what?” he said. “My heart goes out them and I can only imagine if that happened to me.”
“Crashes like these are always devastating and tragic,” Bolton said. “Nobody wants to see a loss of a life. It’s even more tragic when it’s someone so young that dies in one of these crashes.”
