Twin brothers killed in ATV collision
July 16th, 2009 by Kurt Niland
Zachary and Alex Rohloff, the 17-year-old twin sons of an upstate New York developer, died late last month when the all-terrain vehicles they were driving collided head-on. Authorities say the boys were driving up a hill in opposite directions and may not have seen each other when they crested. 16-year-old Emily Mohr, the girlfriend of Alex, was injured in the collision. She suffered from a broken arm and other relatively minor injuries and was released from the hospital on June 23, 2 days after the accident took place.
The Rohloff twins were residents of Schaghticoke, New York, a community about 30 miles northeast of Knox, the town where 13-year-old James Wyatt Spencer lost his life in a Yamaha Rhino rollover incident on May 20.
The crash occurred near the twins’ home on a frequently used ATV path through some hilly farmland near the victims’ home. The Rohloff twins lived with their parents, Brian and Deanna Rohloff. Brian Rohloff, a successful developer, is well known throughout the area.
The Mayor of nearby Mechanicville, Anthony Sylvester, told Albany’s Times Union that the tragedy hit home. “This is every parent’s worst nightmare. And to lose two kids art once like that. Just horrible,” he said. According to the Times Union, Mayor Sylvester knew Brian Rohloff from the work he did in the city.
Classmates of the twins at Hoosic Valley High School described them as “nice kids” who were known to be ATV enthusiasts.
ATV manufacturers normally recommend that the vehicles be driven by adults only. Nonetheless, many ATV owners, young drivers and parents included, remain unaware of the vehicles’ dangers until it’s too late.