13-year-old Chisago Co. boy who died in ATV rollover was experienced rider, mom says: "He was a very special kid"
LINDSTROM, Minn. -- A 13-year-old boy died this weekend after an ATV crash in Chisago County.
Mason DeMenge's mother, Kristina Puffer, says DeMenge took a corner too sharp Saturday in Lent Township and rolled the vehicle.
Puffer says her son was an experienced rider who always wore a helmet.
A balloon release was held Sunday in his honor at his favorite fishing spot in Lindstrom.
"He was a very special kid," Puffer said. "He was goofy. He was fun. When his friends were having a hard time, he would be there in a heartbeat."
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Puffer says DeMenge loved riding his four-wheeler and snowmobile.
"You just never think that it's gonna happen to you and your family," she said.
Terry Durheim lives near where the crash happened and says he had seen DeMenge riding on the street before. With three children of his own who ride, this tragedy has unsettled Durheim.
"All my kids grew up on this stuff -- four wheelers, snowmobiles," he said. "They're very aware of what happened and how serious it is."
Ron Potter, president of the ATV Association of Minnesota, says parents who let their kids ride need to impress upon them the risk involved.
"These are machines and there is some inherent danger with operating them. You've got to be aware of those," Potter said. "And any time you're operating a machine, things can happen pretty quickly."
The higher center of gravity on ATVs is one of the things that can make them more dangerous. For kids, making sure the ATV is a good physical fit for the child is an important element to safe riding.
Potter says that includes being able to reach the foot pegs, reaching the handlebars while seated, and having airspace between the child and the seat when they're standing up on the footrests.
Practice is important, too. Potter says the more a child can get a feel for how wide the ATV is and where the wheels are when they're riding, the better.
