Indiana DNR urges safety 1st after ATV deaths of 2 children

PRINCETON, Ind. (AP) - Indiana conservation officers are warning parents about the dangers posed by all-terrain vehicles in light of the recent deaths of two southwestern Indiana children in ATV crashes.

A 14-year-old Pike County boy and a 7-year-old Posey County girl have died within the past three weeks in separate crashes. Neither child was wearing a helmet.

DNR Conservation Officer Ryan McIntyre tells the Princeton Daily Clarion (http://bit.ly/2oH0xL5 ) children should wear as much safety gear as possible, including helmets and boots, and ride only ATVs appropriate for their size.

Legislation recently approved by state lawmakers would require anyone under 18 to wear helmets while using ATVs.

That bill was named after an 11-year-old Warrick County girl killed in a 2015 ATV crash. Gov. Eric Holcomb has not yet signed that bill into law.

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Information from: Princeton Daily Clarion, http://www.tristate-media.com/pdclarion