Alberta woman killed in ATV rollover
August 31st, 2009 by Kurt Niland
An all-terrain vehicle rollover claimed the life of an Alberta, Canada woman earlier this month. The woman, identified as Gaye-Lynne Westad of Beaverlodge, Alberta, was an experienced ATV driver and enthusiast.
According to the Herald-Tribune of Grande Prairie, Alberta, the accident occurred just south of the Tumbler Ridge district of northern British Columbia, about 60 miles from the victim’s home.
Witnesses say that Westad was driving up a steep incline when the rollover occurred. A passenger, also female, was thrown from the vehicle while Westad was pinned underneath the overturned ATV for an unspecified length of time. Fellow ATV drivers provided first aid and CPR to Westad until emergency workers arrived.
STARS ambulance personnel were unable to revive Westad, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators say that Westad, who was 40 years old, likely died of blunt force trauma.
ATVs and off-roading are a way of life in Alberta, where rollovers and other accidents are common. From 2002 to 2009, 100 people in the Canadian province died from ATV-related injuries; 89 of that number were male. However, in 2006 alone, there were 623 ATV injuries serious enough to require hospital admission. According to records published by the Alberta Centre for Injury Control & Research, ATV-related hospital admissions grew by 16 percent in a 4-year period from 2003 to 2006.
Just last month, a 6-year-old girl was killed near Stettler, Alberta when the ATV she was a passenger in rolled over. The girl was wearing a full-face helmet and seat belt when the accident occurred.
On July 18, the body of Christopher Zuberbier of Wagner, Alberta was found underneath his ATV in a rural area near Sawridge Creek.