One young girl and man killed in seperate Rhino Accidents, a third accident has claimed the life of another young girl:
Article from the IV Press
Another victim has died from injuries sustained in an off-road vehicle accident over the holiday weekend, making it the third death this year in Imperial County dunes recreational areas.
Eighteen-year-old Danielle Bernard of Lake Forest died when her Yamaha Rhino, a golf cart-type off-road vehicle, rolled and landed on her head and neck.
Bernard was traveling through the open desert in the Ocotillo Wells recreation area near Pole Line Road in eastern Imperial County around 10:40 a.m. at 20 mph, the California Highway Patrol said.
She was driving south down a dirt embankment when she attempted to make a sharp left turn while still accelerating, the Highway Patrol said. Officials said the Rhino overturned, partially ejecting Bernard causing the vehicleÂ’s roll bar to land on her head and neck.
The first victim during the holiday week, Abbey West, 13, of Imperial died as a result of a similar accident, as the off-road recreational golf cart she was riding in overturned causing the roll bar to land on her head and neck, the Highway Patrol said.
The second fatal accident occurred when Guillermo Gomez, 24, of El Cajon failed to see the edge of the Coachella Canal and drove directly into it.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Gomez originally survived the accident, but before he could be rescued he apparently drowned.
Medical aid calls were down this year.
“There has been a decline in the severity of injuries we have seen at the hospital this year,” said Dr. Michael Burger, an emergency room physician at Pioneers Memorial Hospital in Brawley.
He added there were three people who had fractured spines on Saturday and one person who had a life-threatening vascular chest injury.
El Centro Regional Medical Center base trauma nurse coordinator Amanda Magaña said riders are taking more precautions and they have seen fewer injuries from the dunes.
Bureau of Land Management dunes manager Neil Hamada said there were around 130 medical aid calls during the Thanksgiving holiday. Last year during the same holiday season there were 150, he said.
The total deaths during Thanksgiving week last year was five. This year there was a decrease because of the police presence and riders taking better precaution, Magaña said.
That's messed up.
I think a lot of people look at these things as toys and forget they can cause death. Someone called them the jet skis of the desert and it kind of sounds like it to me. As long as you got money you can buy one but it doesn't mean you know the limitations of the vehicle.
Sad....RIP
One young girl and man killed in seperate Rhino Accidents, a third accident has claimed the life of another young girl:
Article from the IV Press
Another victim has died from injuries sustained in an off-road vehicle accident over the holiday weekend, making it the third death this year in Imperial County dunes recreational areas.
Eighteen-year-old Danielle Bernard of Lake Forest died when her Yamaha Rhino, a golf cart-type off-road vehicle, rolled and landed on her head and neck.
Bernard was traveling through the open desert in the Ocotillo Wells recreation area near Pole Line Road in eastern Imperial County around 10:40 a.m. at 20 mph, the California Highway Patrol said.
She was driving south down a dirt embankment when she attempted to make a sharp left turn while still accelerating, the Highway Patrol said. Officials said the Rhino overturned, partially ejecting Bernard causing the vehicleÂ’s roll bar to land on her head and neck.
The first victim during the holiday week, Abbey West, 13, of Imperial died as a result of a similar accident, as the off-road recreational golf cart she was riding in overturned causing the roll bar to land on her head and neck, the Highway Patrol said.
The second fatal accident occurred when Guillermo Gomez, 24, of El Cajon failed to see the edge of the Coachella Canal and drove directly into it.
According to the California Highway Patrol, Gomez originally survived the accident, but before he could be rescued he apparently drowned.
Medical aid calls were down this year.
“There has been a decline in the severity of injuries we have seen at the hospital this year,” said Dr. Michael Burger, an emergency room physician at Pioneers Memorial Hospital in Brawley.
He added there were three people who had fractured spines on Saturday and one person who had a life-threatening vascular chest injury.
El Centro Regional Medical Center base trauma nurse coordinator Amanda Magaña said riders are taking more precautions and they have seen fewer injuries from the dunes.
Bureau of Land Management dunes manager Neil Hamada said there were around 130 medical aid calls during the Thanksgiving holiday. Last year during the same holiday season there were 150, he said.
The total deaths during Thanksgiving week last year was five. This year there was a decrease because of the police presence and riders taking better precaution, Magaña said.
Things like this have happened on 4 wheelers for years... Not the Rhino's fault... driver error and stupidity are to blame. Just like the inexperienced girl that stole dad's sportscar, it's gonna bite you if you don't respect it.
Very sad, out having a little fun, ends in tragedy
Things like this have happened on 4 wheelers for years... Not the Rhino's fault... driver error and stupidity are to blame. Just like the inexperienced girl that stole dad's sportscar, it's gonna bite you if you don't respect it.
4 wheelers never had rollbars that would crush your head or neck like a dull guillotine, as in the case of 66% of the deaths in this report. 4 wheelers never had seatbelts that kept you trapped in the vehicle and drowned you, as in the other 33% of the deaths. But I'll give the benefit of the doubt that maybe he just couldn't swim and resulted in drowning, but I'm I'm thinking he was trapped and the vehicle turned over, or somehow kept him from escaping.
What really gets me is the parents who turn their kids loose in them. They have got no clue as to what they are doing and these things roll VERY easy.
We stayed in Ocotillo until Monday and had breakfast at the Blue Inn. The cook is also a fireman for Ocotillo and told us there was 22 emergency calls and 1 fatality in Ocotillo this weekend. Very sad.
So with the Rhino accidents, I wonder if they were wearing shoulder harness type of seatbelts?
Most of the stock Rhinos (Non 4 seaters with aftermarket cage) I saw while out at Dumont had stock belts. In more than a couple cases people were not even wearing the factory belts.
I saw more than a couple 10 year olds driving Rhinos around there camps and out in the flats.
I was able to go everywhere except the BIG dunes in the middle of the compound and never had to press my luck. Sadly these are cases of drivers that didn't know what they are doing.
That's messed up
I think a lot of people look at these things as toys and forget they can cause death. Someone called them the jet skis of the desert and it kind of sounds like it to me. As long as you got money you can buy one but it doesn't mean you know the limitations of the vehicle.
Sad....RIP
That was me that said it and I still think that. Over t-giving i saw more of these people driving like jackasses out in Glamis. Somehow people think these things are rails and try to drive them at 40-50 through the woops on the drags. Saw one get jiggy and rip off the rear tire and another one flip. The only good thing about the rhino drivers was tehy tended to stay towards the middle while the morons on quads all went by at 80mph 5 feet away from the people. I think the cops should crack down more on the people that break the speed limit law 50 feet from people.
Just accept it's the Lord's way of keeping the gene pool clean! :crossx:
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