Arkansas is a rural state
and for many families ATVs are just a part of life but they aren't toys.
The natural state ranks 5th in the
nation for ATV related injuries. Last year, more than 90 Arkansas children were
hospitalized following ATV wrecks and for some of those children, they never
made it home.
Last fall, Colby Smothers
was a star on the Sheridan High School football team. He had everything going his way until October
22. That's the day Colby and his two
best friends, Zach Godwin and Dylan Neal, made plans to celebrate Colby's
birthday with a day of 4-wheeling. All
three boys were on one 4-wheeler when they made a fatal decision.
"We just usually
ramped the road. Just try to ramp the road and have fun," said Colby.
As the boys came up and
over the highway, they hit a truck. Zach
died. Dylan had severe orthopedic injuries and Colby suffered major injuries as
well.
"He had a lacerated
spleen, a broken arm, a dislocated shoulder and a very traumatic brain injury,"
said Colby's mom, Renee James.
A brain injury so severe,
his mother was told it would be a miracle if he made it through the night and
if he did survive, he may never wake up.
"I was prepared to take
care of him whether he laid there and never woke up or whether he woke up and
wasn't Colby. I was prepared for that and
I think any mother would be," said Renee.
Thankfully, Colby did wake
up, but the star athlete had to relearn everything including how to walk and
talk. He's made remarkable progress.
"Football - that was my
best sport. I can't play no more. If I get hit, it's done," said Colby.
Not only will he never
play football again and he'll never see his friend Zach again.
"There isn't a day that
goes by… I don't think there's an hour of a day that goes by that he doesn't
think about Zach," said his mom.
None of the boys in that
wreck were wearing helmets. It's something Colby regrets and it is one of the
most important rules to follow when riding and ATV.
The American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends children under the age of 16 should not drive or ride on an ATV at
all. Once a child is 16, they should
take an ATV safety course before being allowed to ride. When it comes to passengers, operation should
be restricted to just one person even if the 4-wheeler is built for more.
Dr. Mary Aitkin, Director
of Injury Prevention at Arkansas Children's Hospital, says parents need to
follow and enforce the rules.
"These are really not
accidents because they're predictable and preventable and with the right,
simple interventions, we can really reduce the number of ATV injuries here in
Arkansas," said Dr. Aitkin.
Making Arkansans more
aware of ATV safety is now a new mission for Colby and his mother. As he continues to recover, Colby says he
wants to make sure no other kids go through what he's had to endure.
"Whatever you do, just
don't jump no public highway," said Colby.
For an ATV safety course
near you, you can contact your local cooperative extension service.
