Durant Teen Who Survived Crash Warns Of Dangers Of Four-Wheelers

A 17-year-old boy from Durant, Oklahoma, who survived an ATV crash is now sharing his story, and warning Oklahomans of the dangers of four-wheelers.

Sunday, June 3rd 2012, 1:37 pm

By: News 9


A 17-year-old boy from Durant, Oklahoma, who survived an ATV crash is now sharing his story, and warning Oklahomans of the dangers of four-wheelers.

It started out as a fun family trip for Wesley Troxtell. He and his father traveled to Texas to ride their ATV. Wesley stopped at an intersection after the ride, that's when he was hit by another vehicle.

"I popped a wheelie on my ATV and out of nowhere, I got T-boned by a guy," Troxtell recalled.

"He doesn't remember much about the accident although, bits and pieces are starting to come back," Wesley's mother, Linda Troxtell said.

"I went flying in the air," Troxtell said. "My four-wheeler flipped over four times."

Troxtell was not wearing a helmet at the time of the collision. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and a broken arm.

Authorities say Troxtell was lucky to be alive.

"When we got him his four-wheeler, we thought he would be okay, and that he would be more cautious than the other children," Linda Troxtell said. "It didn't work out that way. Kids get on them and think they can drive really fast and nothing is going to happen to them, but it does."

After a one week stay in the intensive care unit, Troxtell was admitted to The Children's Center in Bethany, Oklahoma for rehabilitation.

Today, Troxtell is walking and talking again, and sharing his story with others about the dangers of four-wheelers.

According to officials, from 2007 to 2009, there were 35 ATV-related deaths in Oklahoma. In 2011, The Trauma One Center at OU Medical Center treated 117 victims of ATV accidents. Sixty of those victims were children, under the age of 18.

The state of Oklahoma averages more than 15 ATV-related deaths per year, and has one of the nation's highest rates of injury for those 16 and under.

Close to 90% of ATV crashes in Oklahoma occur with drivers under age 16 driving an adult-sized ATV, according to officials.

Learn more about ATV safety in Oklahoma.

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