A family trip in West Virginia ended in “heartbreaking” grief when an 11-year-old boy was killed in a freak ATV crash that was caused by a pet dog stepping on the gas pedal.
The 11-year-old, who was from Ohio, was killed Monday afternoon after the rugged side-by-side four-wheeler he was in with his 12-year-old brother and their cousin’s 18-year-old boyfriend went over an embankment, a Kermit Volunteer Fire Department official told WSAZ.
Assistant Fire Chief Wayne Williamson said the family pup was riding with the boys in the ATV when he jumped on the floorboard and hit the accelerator pedal, causing it to veer off the road and violently crash.
“Who would have ever thought a house dog would jump down in the floorboard of a side-by-side and do that?” Williamson said.
A woman and teenage girl were riding in another ATV ahead of the boys and rushed to their nearby home to call 911 since cellphone service is non-existent in the area, the station reported.
The 11-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene, Williamson said.
The two other passengers in the wrecked ATV suffered non-life-threatening injuries, while the dog only had minor injuries.