Teen days shy of 14th birthday dies in ATV crash, Arkansas cops say. ‘Full of life’
A 13-year-old Arkansas boy died in an ATV accident after he was thrown off and landed in traffic, police said.
Ninth grader J.T. Peters, who was 10 days shy of his 14th birthday, was driving a Honda Foreman ATV on Sunday on Highway 189 in Ashley County when the vehicle started experiencing mechanical issues and overturned “end over end,” MyArkLaMiss.com reported.
Both of Peters’ parents acted as first responders at the crash site, according to the outlet.
The teen dreamed of becoming a firefighter with the Milo Fire Department, according to his obituary. His mother was the captain of the department and his father was the fire chief.
“I just can’t talk. ... J.T. was full of life,” Mike Rowe, assistant chief for the Milo Fire Department, told MyArkLaMiss.com. “He was always the life of the training. ... He wanted to be a firefighter and we were just waiting for his 18th birthday.”
The Hamburg School District, where Peters was a student, is providing grief and support services for any student or staff member who may be affected by the loss, the district said on Facebook.
“We are deeply saddened and heart broken that a 9th grade student of ours was in a tragic accident,” they wrote. “On behalf of Hamburg School District, we send our condolences. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers.”
Peter’s funeral service will be held Wednesday at the First Baptist Church of Hamburg, his obituary said.
There have been more than 400 ATV-related deaths in Arkansas since 1982, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
This story was originally published September 14, 2021 at 10:59 AM with the headline "Teen days shy of 14th birthday dies in ATV crash, Arkansas cops say. ‘Full of life’."
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