ATV crash in a rural area kills Modesto teenager

By EMILIE RAGUSO
eraguso@modbee.com

last updated: July 09, 2008 01:47:19 AM

A teenager who was thrown from his all-terrain vehicle Sunday near an orchard west of Modesto died Monday, officials reported.

Authorities said Justin James Wolff, 17, was not wearing a helmet.

"He has a helmet to wear. He just didn't wear it. You know how kids are," said grandfather Tony Van Oostende, 74, of Modesto. "It was my ATV. He always came and asked me to ride it. I usually argued with him and told him not to do any jumps and wheelies. I didn't do that this time."

Wolff would have been a senior at Modesto High School in the fall.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Wolff lost control of a three-wheeled 1985 Honda ATV, which overturned several times and threw him onto the road.

He was riding with friends near his Paradise Road home. He was familiar with the area, family members said.

The accident happened about 3:15 p.m., according to the CHP. The weather was clear, hot and calm. Wolff was driving south about 50 mph on a dirt embankment west of Illinois Avenue in west Modesto, the CHP reported. According to authorities, he jumped from the embankment over an access road and lost control. He was thrown from the ATV and landed in Illinois' northbound lane.

Wolff was taken to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto with major injuries.

His grandmother, Maria Van Oostende, 74, said it was clear that he wouldn't make it.

"We knew from the beginning," she said. Doctors gave him 17 pints of blood and 15 pints of platelets, family members said. "I asked the doctor, 'What for?' He was paralyzed with a broken collar bone. He had brain damage. His skull was cracked. It was horrible."

Goodbye to 'country boy'

Family members, friends and teachers went to the hospital to offer support and say goodbye when they heard about the accident, Wolff's mother, Annette Van Oostende, said.

"Thirty to 35 kids came through. His English teacher, a school security guard," she said. "He wasn't a bad kid, but Justin would stick up for everybody. He had his ornery side.

"I got a call this morning from his ag mechanics teacher. He talked about his teachers so much. They touched his life greatly."

Wolff was pronounced dead at 5:46 p.m. Monday, according to the Stanislaus County coroner's office. Cause of death was multiple injuries to the head, chest and abdomen.

His mother described him as "an outside, country boy." He loved to hunt, fish and ride motorcycles, she said. He raised chickens, pheasants, parakeets and lovebirds in coops outside his home. He also was close to his family, including his grandparents, a brother, Jacob, 10, and a sister, Jessica, 19.

"He always said he was going to be a millionaire and take care of me," his mother said. "He's my million-dollar man and he always will be. He gave me strength to get through everything."

His grandmother said he was a "happy little guy" and a "typical teenager."

"One minute I'd want to wring his neck and the next I'd hug him," she said.

Wolff's mother said her son's friends, who witnessed his crash, should not blame themselves. But she said she hopes they'll learn one lesson.

"Live as Justin would have lived, enjoying life to the fullest. But be safe," she said. "It's so easy to be cool and tough. But it takes two seconds to put on a helmet. And you can still be cool."

Headgear makes the difference

Helmets are required by law on public property, but not on private land, said deputy Greg Smith of the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department.

"Even out in an orchard, they're highly recommended," he said. "I see hundreds of accidents. A guy who wore a helmet will say, 'I rolled my quad down this hill 30 times and I need a tow out.' But I've also seen a guy do one flip and break his neck. And he was not wearing a helmet. It makes a difference from a Medi-Flight ride to the hospital versus walking back to the car and going home."

Smith works in the Special Vehicle Operations Unit, which monitors off-road parks in the county. He said three-wheeled ATVs are risky because they're top heavy and tip easily. Manufacturers stopped making them years ago because of safety concerns, he said.

"It doesn't take any speed," he said. "You turn sharp to the right and your body wants to go left. You end up rolling over. They're extremely dangerous. That's not to say that four-wheelers won't tip over, but nowhere near as easy as three-wheelers."

Smith said it's important to wear special boots to keep from twisting an ankle, gloves, a helmet and a chest pad to protect riders from hitting the handlebars. Riders also should know their limits and abilities, as well as the terrain.

"Quads are basically made to roll over," Smith said. "You will have an accident, guaranteed. It's just a matter of when."

Tony Van Oostende said there would be no more rides on the three-wheeled ATV, which he used to ride through his orchards as he irrigated them.

"I got rid of it," he said. "I don't want to see it anymore."

A memorial fund for Justin Wolff has been set up through Oak Valley Community Bank. All branches will accept donations. People also can donate blood in Wolff's name at Delta Blood Bank. The teenager's funeral likely will be held Monday, relatives said, but details have not been determined.

Bee staff photographer Bart Ah You contributed to this report.

Bee staff writer Emilie Raguso can be reached at eraguso@modbee.com or 578-2235.

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