ATV Loaded With Seven Kids Wrecks Near Bernice

Three children were injured in an ATV wreck Saturday in Delaware County. Investigators say a 12-year-old was driving the ATV and had six passengers along for the ride.

The wreck took place a 5:45 p.m. just outside Bernice, according to a report by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

A 12-year-old Fairland girl was driving a 2003 Polaris ATV with a dump bed eastbound on Moose Road when she lost control of the vehicle. Troopers say she was distracted when the ATV ran off the road and struck a tree.

The Polaris was loaded with six passengers, ages 3 to 13. Two Afton girls, one 10 and the other 13, were taken by medical helicopter to a Tulsa hospital. They both had internal and head injuries but are expected to recover.

A 13-year-old Quapaw girl suffered leg injuries, but troopers say she refused treatment at the scene.

The driver and one passenger were wearing safety belts. Troopers report that the driver was in apparently normal condition, and the cause of the accident was driver distraction.