A Kentwood-area teenager has been arrested and accused in a serious ATV crash that injured four teens, including himself.
According to the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, Mason Simpson, 18, was booked on three counts of negligent injuring and no seatbelt as well as one count each of reckless operation of a vehicle, off-road vehicle on a roadway, no proof of insurance, and failure to carry registration.
He has since bonded out of jail, according to the sheriff.
The crash happened around midnight on Saturday, Nov. 7.
TPSO deputies responded to the crash in the 20000 block of Green Farm Road in the Kentwood area.
When deputies arrived, they found four people in an ATV that had lost control and overturned multiple times.
The ATV landed against a tree.
A 17-year-old passenger was flown to a New Orleans hospital with serious injuries and remains there. A 16-year-old passenger and Simpson, the driver, were taken to an area hospital, were treated and released. The last passenger, an 18-year-old, refused treatment at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office.
Simpson is accused of speeding down Green Farm Road when he lost control of the ATV, which the sheriff’s office says he owns. None of the riders were wearing seatbelts, which were available, according to the sheriff’s office.
According to the sheriff’s office, Simpson was out on bond from a DWI arrest back in July. In that case, Simpson was found passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle that was sitting idle in the middle of an Amite highway several yards from an unrelated serious injury crash scene.
The sheriff says Simpson may face additional charges.
The TPSO wants to remind all drivers that while not all crashes are survivable, wearing seat belts correctly can be the difference between life and death and can significantly reduce the severity of injuries sustained in a crash.
READ MORE:Kentwood teen arrested, accused in serious crash that hurt four teens
