Janelle Grant’s husband, Barry, said that his wife and son were part of a group of off-roaders venturing to Bible Point State Historic Site in Northeastern Maine. Barry Grant said he and a friend visiting from New York, another woman, and two other children were among the three other ATVs going to Bible Point, just south of Island Falls.

Barry Grant told the Bangor Daily News that the road they were following, an old logging trail that they were familiar with, had washed out unexpectedly in the middle and caught the drivers off-guard.

“We came right up over a hill and it was right in the middle of the road,” he told the Daily News, adding that the washout was difficult to avoid. Mr. Grant managed to stop and pulled over hoping that his wife, who was following in another ATV, would see him pulled over and also stop.

Instead, Janelle’s ATV hit the washout and rolled over. The victims were taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor by a LifeFlight helicopter.

Maine Warden Service Sgt. Tom Ward said that the accident is under investigation. A spokeswoman for Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife told the Daily News that recent heavy rain had washed out the road, which is seldom used.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Mother and son recovering after ATV rollover in Maine

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.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Twin brothers killed in ATV collision

Wyatt, who was an only child, was eager to take the Rhino out for a spin on the day the local Yamaha dealership delivered the vehicle to the family farm. Wyatt spent the better part of the day on May 28 test driving the brand-new Rhino with a school friend. Then, in the late afternoon, the rollover occurred in a field about 500 yards from Wyatt’s house.

Wyatt suffered severe head trauma in the rollover and was pronounced dead shortly after arriving by ambulance to an ER in Albany. Wyatt’s friend was not injured in the accident.

According to his parents, Wyatt had lots of experience driving ATVs and dirt bikes on the farm. Jim Spencer said the dealer that sold him the Rhino never mentioned the massive recall of all Rhino UTVs issued jointly by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission and Yamaha Motor Corporation on March 31, 2009.

“It broke my heart,” Mr. Spencer told Albany, New York’s NEWS10. “If I found out what I found out after, I would have never bought this machine,” he said.

The dealership maintains that Mr. Spencer knew the vehicle had to be retrofitted with safety upgrades and thus the recall was implied.

Investigators and lawyers for both Yamaha and the Spencers met in Knox last week to inspect the vehicle and the scene of the accident.

“I don’t want to see anybody else get killed,” Jim Spencer told NEWS10.

“Whatever other investigation needs to be done in this field, I am all for it.”

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Parents of Rhino rollover victim may sue Yamaha

Ryan was only 10 years old at the time of the accident, which occurred about 14 months ago. Albert is still recovering from his injuries, which included a broken tibia, fractures, broken bones and infection. He is on crutches and has undergone several operations. The full story is in the Press Republican, which serves northeastern New York.

This incident has a relatively happy outcome, in that Ryan was able to save his father, but it adds to a growing list of serious injuries and deaths resulting from accidents involving the Yamaha Rhino. The Rhino has been in production since 2003, and since that time there have been numerous instances of rollovers, which have led to allegations of a fundamental design defect in the ATV that causes it to be unstable and easy to roll.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › New York boy saves father in rollover