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

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 suggested that the vehicle was operating at a relatively low speed but flipped due to its high center of gravity and the soft dirt.