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WEST VALLEY CITY — A 16-year-old boy who fell from an ATV while riding with his father died Saturday night.
Utah Department of Transportation spokesman John Gleason said the boy and his father, a UDOT maintenance worker, were test driving a personal vehicle in a parking lot near the department's transportation shed at 5700 West and 2100 South when the boy fell from the vehicle and hit his head while making a turn just before 4 p.m.
The boy was flown to University Hospital in extremely critical condition and died later that night from a pre-existing medical condition.
"Regardless of the fall it appears he would have passed away," Gleason said.
Gleason said the vehicle has a top speed of approximately 10 miles per hour and the father believes he was traveling below that speed while making the turn. The father reportedly told Gleason that his son slumped down and fell from the vehicle.
"To have this happen is just devastating for so many people and it really hits home," Gleason said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with this man and his family."
