Child Crushed by Off-Road Vehicle That Flips in Alturas Pasture

In a heart-wrenching incident, a 10-year-old passenger was crushed to death by a 2,700-pound off-road vehicle after it rolled over during a turn on Thursday. The incident happened shortly after the passage of Hurricane Milton.

The vehicle, a 2022 Polaris Ranger, was being driven by a 15-year-old. A group of other children were also aboard as passengers. All were ejected when the vehicle flipped.

No driver's license is required to drive an off-road vehicle. They also lack many safety features found in passenger cars.

The incident happened in a rain-sodden pasture located off 80 Foot Road in Alturas.

The victim, a 10-year-old, was pinned underneath the ORV, but a group of adults at the scene were able to lift it off the girl.

(EDITOR'S NOtE: In accordance with the wishes of the Corcoran family, we have deleted the name of the young victim from this story. We normally include the names of minor victims in recognition that their youth in no way minimizes the individuals they were.)

According to Polk County Sheriff's investigators, two of the adults were nurses who immediately performed CPR, and Corcoran was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital, but died later Thursday evening.

According to the PCSO, evidence suggest10/11/2024 21:48:04ed that the vehicle was operating at a relatively low speed but flipped due to its high center of gravity and the soft dirt.