Marion County Sheriff’s Deputies have released more details on a fatal side-by-side four-wheeler crash on the Brown Church Road at the Lane Road intersection in rural Kinmundy.
Preliminary information indicates the side-by-side occupied by three 14-year-old Salem area boys flipped over as they were attempting to turn around to return to the nearby home of one of their grandparents.
The passenger who was killed is identified as Franklin Park Middle School student Wesley Hunter. He was thrown out the door and the side-by-side landed on top of him. The two boys who stayed inside during the crash were able to lift the vehicle off of Hunter but he sustained injuries that led to his death. He was pronounced dead on the scene by Marion County Coroner Troy Cannon.
The driver of the side-by-side and the other passenger sustained what appeared to be minor injuries and were later taken to the hospital by private vehicle by their parents.
The sheriff’s department reports there was no indication of excessive speed and the vehicle flipping over appeared to be a freak accident. The side by side had doors and a roll cage. There was no damage to the vehicle.
Air Evac had initially launched to take the seriously injured passenger to the hospital, but United Medical Response personnel who were first on the scene with the sheriff’s deputy determined the youth had sustained fatal injuries. The Kinmundy-Alma Fire Department and EMT’s were also called to assist.
The crash occurred at 1:24 Friday afternoon.
Salem Grade School administrators opened Franklin Park School for an hour Friday night to speak with any 7th or 8th-grade students who wished to talk.
The Crouse Funeral Home in Salem is assisting the Wesley Hunter family with funeral arrangements.
