4 year old riding an ATV? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

StanT · 08-08-2005, 01:41 PM

This has been in the news here in Colorado:

Searchers Look For Missing Weld County Boy

Quote:

KERSEY, Colo. -- Searchers in Weld County are looking for a missing 4-year-old boy who was last seen Friday night riding an all-terrain vehicle about 5 miles from Kersey.

Divers, searching the nearby Platte River, said they found a fender from the ATV and a shoe from the missing boy. Four dive teams are probing the river for more clues.

About 150 people are involved in the search, which is being conducted in the river and on the ground.

The boy was reported missing at about 8 p.m. Friday while riding around the dairy farm where he lives along Weld County Road 388.

Volunteers began looking for the boy immediately and searched through the night.

The dive teams are concentrating on the river.

The boy was not identified.

Body Of Missing 4-Year-Old Found

Quote:

The body of missing 4-year-old Weld County boy was found by searchers in the South Platte River Sunday evening.

Sam Cockcroft's body was located at 5:30 p.m. near a river bank, trapped by a cottonwood tree branch hanging over the water.

More than 300 people helped with the search Sunday. Authorities also called for water diversions to make the river shallower after heavy rains, Martinez said.

There had been no sign of Cockroft since Saturday morning, when searchers found one of his boots and pieces of his ATV in the river, she said.

Cockroft had been taught how to float on his ATV in the water, Platte Valley Fire Protection District Capt. Barry Schaefer said. Martinez has said it is not unusual for such young children to drive ATVs in a rural, agricultural community.

An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death, authorities said.

I've got problems with this incident on a lot of levels, most specifically the quote "Martinez has said it is not unusual for such young children to drive ATVs in a rural, agricultural community.". At the age of 4, my daughters had a hard time controlling a big wheel, let alone a ATV with a gasoline engine. The fact that a 4 year old is anywhere unsupervised seems insane to me, as well. This has been on the news out here and the attitude has been that this is how things are in rural areas. I've lived in the sticks all of my life and it just seems really wrong to me.

Opinions?

maleficent · 08-08-2005, 01:43 PM

This is a tragedy that didn't have to happen. What kind of moronic parent leaves a 4 year old unsupervised, especially when on a gasoline powered vehicle. He'd 4, he doesn't have the experience yet to know what's good judgement what's not - that is what parents are for.

/me shakes head at the stupidity of some people...

feelgood · 08-08-2005, 01:47 PM

ATV comes in all kind of different size. The kid could've been driving one of those kid-size ATV. The article doesn't say but that's one of the possible reason why a 4 years old kid is riding a ATV.

If it was a full size one, it's impossible for the kid to actually reach both the peddle and the handlebar (Unless it was a gigantic kid)

StanT · 08-08-2005, 01:51 PM

Other news articles list it as a kid sized 50cc ATV.

I'm not sure why that would make a difference.

feelgood · 08-08-2005, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StanT

Other news articles list it as a kid sized 50cc ATV.

I'm not sure why that would make a difference.

Another reason for governments to rollback on their decisison to let companies make kid size vehicles.

Another reason why governments should license parents

maleficent · 08-08-2005, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by feelgood

ATV comes in all kind of different size. The kid could've been driving one of those kid-size ATV. The article doesn't say but that's one of the possible reason why a 4 years old kid is riding a ATV.

Even if it was the size of a big wheel, a parent would let a child outside, out of their line of vision for long enough for the kid to fully disappear and have a search party called in?

Even if it is in the country - it seems pretty irresponsible of a parent to leave the kid unattended for so long

ShaniFaye · 08-08-2005, 02:10 PM

When Amanda was 4 we bought her one of those little motorized jeep thingys, I cant tell you how many times I got banged on the knees getting between her and the back end of my car...NO WAY IN HELL....let me repeat NO WAY IN HELL would she have been riding that unsupervised for any amount of time. If I had to go to the bathroom she was made to get off of it and come with me.

those parents should be charged with neglect.

Grasshopper Green · 08-08-2005, 03:10 PM

My cousin got one of those things for his 7th birthday. I shook my head in disbelief. He lives in a rural area as well, and it's pretty common for young kids to have them there. My son is coming up on his fourth birthday and is having difficulty with his tricycle....I just don't understand the reasoning behind this.

Lasereth · 08-08-2005, 06:32 PM

Yeah, my 4 year old sister has a power wheel thing and she still has a hard time understanding that turning the steering wheel makes the jeep move at all. An ATV? This child better have been seriously advanced or something else this is pure idiotic parenting.

-Lasereth

Jinn · 08-09-2005, 11:33 AM

At least something has to be said in this being a rural area. I live in a rural-ish area of Colorad, and my parents had 6-20 acres in our "backyard." They couldn't be expected to watch us 24/7, and they couldn't be expected to follow us everywhere we went. Certainly at 4 years old.. they would've been watching us.. but at 6 or 7? Me and my sister were playing "story" where I was the knight and she the princess.. galloping all over the property by ourselves. An accident could have happened, and I wouldn't have chalked it up to bad parenting. I think they trusted us to be somewhat responsible. Likewise, I was riding my bicycle down our dirt road at a pretty young age -- it's hard to say how responsible both the child and the parents were. The parents might've been unfortuntely lulled into believing their child was more responsible than he was.

However, it's also hard for me to see letting a 4 year old, even a 10 year old.. sit on something thats got red-hot tailpipes, an explosive liquid, and toxic fumes. That's something you gotta be like .. 16 for.

MSD · 08-10-2005, 06:33 PM

Motocross events have age 5-7 dirtbike events, and there's a thing called "Jr. Dragster" (yes, kids with nitromethane powered dragsters,) so it doesn't surprise me that parents buy this stuff for their kids. I'd wait until they were 10 or 12, but that's just me (don't start with the "you don't have kids" stuff because I ignore anything like that.)

typhus · 08-11-2005, 09:38 AM

I think 4 year olds have a hard enough time walking and running, Let alone driving a motorized vehicle around. I think you need to be at least a teenager to drive anyting that moves without you powering it.

Apache · 08-11-2005, 06:36 PM

It's just a shame that a child is dead because he had idiots for parents! 4 year old children have no buisiness on anything like that. My son won't have a go-cart, 4 wheeler, dirt bike or anything like that probably until he's a teenager. But it really is such a sad story.

08-08-2005, 01:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
maleficent Junkie Moderator Emeritus Location: Chicago	This is a tragedy that didn't have to happen. What kind of moronic parent leaves a 4 year old unsupervised, especially when on a gasoline powered vehicle. He'd 4, he doesn't have the experience yet to know what's good judgement what's not - that is what parents are for. /me shakes head at the stupidity of some people... __________________ Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.

08-08-2005, 01:47 PM	#3 (permalink)
feelgood Free Mars! Location: I dunno, there's white people around me saying "eh" all the time	ATV comes in all kind of different size. The kid could've been driving one of those kid-size ATV. The article doesn't say but that's one of the possible reason why a 4 years old kid is riding a ATV. If it was a full size one, it's impossible for the kid to actually reach both the peddle and the handlebar (Unless it was a gigantic kid) __________________ Looking out the window, that's an act of war. Staring at my shoes, that's an act of war. Committing an act of war? Oh you better believe that's an act of war

08-08-2005, 02:10 PM	#7 (permalink)
ShaniFaye Submit to me, you know you want to Location: Lilburn, Ga	When Amanda was 4 we bought her one of those little motorized jeep thingys, I cant tell you how many times I got banged on the knees getting between her and the back end of my car...NO WAY IN HELL....let me repeat NO WAY IN HELL would she have been riding that unsupervised for any amount of time. If I had to go to the bathroom she was made to get off of it and come with me. those parents should be charged with neglect. __________________ *I want the diabetic plan that comes with rollover carbs. I dont like the unused one expiring at midnite!!*

08-08-2005, 03:10 PM	#8 (permalink)
Grasshopper Green ...is a comical chap Location: Where morons reign supreme	My cousin got one of those things for his 7th birthday. I shook my head in disbelief. He lives in a rural area as well, and it's pretty common for young kids to have them there. My son is coming up on his fourth birthday and is having difficulty with his tricycle....I just don't understand the reasoning behind this. __________________ "They say that patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings; steal a little and they throw you in jail, steal a lot and they make you king" Formerly Medusa

08-08-2005, 06:32 PM	#9 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	Yeah, my 4 year old sister has a power wheel thing and she still has a hard time understanding that turning the steering wheel makes the jeep move at all. An ATV? This child better have been seriously advanced or something else this is pure idiotic parenting. -Lasereth __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

08-08-2005, 01:51 PM	#4 (permalink)
StanT © Location: Colorado	Other news articles list it as a kid sized 50cc ATV. I'm not sure why that would make a difference.

08-09-2005, 11:33 AM	#10 (permalink)
Jinn Lover - Protector - Teacher Location: Seattle, WA	At least something has to be said in this being a rural area. I live in a rural-ish area of Colorad, and my parents had 6-20 acres in our "backyard." They couldn't be expected to watch us 24/7, and they couldn't be expected to follow us everywhere we went. Certainly at 4 years old.. they would've been watching us.. but at 6 or 7? Me and my sister were playing "story" where I was the knight and she the princess.. galloping all over the property by ourselves. An accident could have happened, and I wouldn't have chalked it up to bad parenting. I think they trusted us to be somewhat responsible. Likewise, I was riding my bicycle down our dirt road at a pretty young age -- it's hard to say how responsible both the child and the parents were. The parents might've been unfortuntely lulled into believing their child was more responsible than he was. However, it's also hard for me to see letting a 4 year old, even a 10 year old.. sit on something thats got red-hot tailpipes, an explosive liquid, and toxic fumes. That's something you gotta be like .. 16 for. __________________ "I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel

08-10-2005, 06:33 PM	#11 (permalink)
MSD The sky calls to us ... Super Moderator Location: CT	Motocross events have age 5-7 dirtbike events, and there's a thing called "Jr. Dragster" (yes, kids with nitromethane powered dragsters,) so it doesn't surprise me that parents buy this stuff for their kids. I'd wait until they were 10 or 12, but that's just me (don't start with the "you don't have kids" stuff because I ignore anything like that.)

08-11-2005, 09:38 AM	#12 (permalink)
typhus Tilted Location: USA	I think 4 year olds have a hard enough time walking and running, Let alone driving a motorized vehicle around. I think you need to be at least a teenager to drive anyting that moves without you powering it. Last edited by typhus; 08-11-2005 at 09:39 AM.. Reason: typo

08-11-2005, 06:36 PM	#13 (permalink)
Apache Insane	It's just a shame that a child is dead because he had idiots for parents! 4 year old children have no buisiness on anything like that. My son won't have a go-cart, 4 wheeler, dirt bike or anything like that probably until he's a teenager. But it really is such a sad story.