Deadly ATV crashes surge in Minnesota

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Eighteen people have died in all-terrain vehicle crashes in Minnesota so far this year, including six fatalities in October alone.

It's been a deadly month for off-highway vehicle riders in Minnesota.

Eighteen people have died in all-terrain vehicle crashes in Minnesota so far this year, including six fatalities in October alone.

That includes 47-year-old Jacob Jeurissen of Big Lake and his 18-year-old daughter, Kiara Jeurissen, who died in an ATV accident in Aitkin County on Oct. 16. The side-by-side vehicle they were riding in left a road and rolled multiple times. Authorities said speed may have been a factor.

Most fatal crashes occur when ATVs are traveling along roads or in road ditches, not on the state’s trail system, said Corey Wiebusch, statewide recreational vehicle coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. He said the vehicles are not designed to ride on paved surfaces.