12-year-old Morgan County boy dies in off-road vehicle accident

INDIANA – Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating an ORV accident that occurred last night in Paragon. 

At approximately 7 p.m., conservation officers were dispatched to a property near the 1600 block of Duckworth Road of Morgan County.

Upon arrival, officers discovered that a 12-year-old boy was operating a side-by-side ORV on private property when he lost control on a gravel driveway causing the machine to strike a tree and flip on its side. The boy was pronounced dead on the scene.     

No safety equipment or seatbelts were in use at the time of the incident, which is still under investigation. 

Assisting agencies included the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department, Morgan County Emergency Medical Services, and the Morgan County Coroner.

Indiana Conservation Officers remind the public that ORV operators and passengers should always wear a helmet, protective riding gear, and use all ORV safety restraints.

For information on ORV laws and safe operating procedures, please visit offroad-ed.com/in/handbook/ and on.IN.gov/offroading.