Minnehaha County, S.D.- A Sunday evening ATV crash claimed the life of one and severely injured another near Garretson, SD.
The names of the people involved have not been released pending notification of family members.
Preliminary crash information indicates a 2022 Polaris ATV was traveling north on 487th Avenue, a gravel road, lost control and entered the ditch. The vehicle rolled, ejecting both occupants. A 16-year-old female occupant received fatal injuries and a 30-year-old male occupant was transported to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries. Neither was using their seatbelt. Determination of who was driving is under investigation.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. All information released so far is only preliminary.
UPDATE At 7/22/24 at 2:21 PM, the Garretson School District released the following statement:
As many of you are aware, on Sunday evening, a serious ATV accident took the life of one of our students, Alivia Christensen. We know her loss will be felt by many in our community. Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 23rd, our school counselors, Janie Lundberg and Sherri Matthews will be in the school library from 12:00 Noon until 4:00 to offer support to anyone who may need it. If these hours do not work, but you feel like you need support, please call the office and we will coordinate with the counselors to ensure that somone meets with you. The strength in our community lies in our willingness and ability to support one another in difficult times. Please pass the word that counselors are available if you know that someone is struggling with this loss.
