According to the WKYC report, the four boys were riding the ATV in a wooded area near the Cleveland Metroparks South Chagrin Reservation when the accident occurred. Police in the nearby Solon community received a call reporting the accident around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday the 19th. When emergency workers arrived, they found student Dan Murphy, who had been driving, had died at the scene.

Daniel Loyke, also a sophomore at St. Ignatius, received serious injuries to his head and leg. He was airlifted by Life Flight to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. The other two boys were released to their parents at the scene, having received only minor injuries. All of the boys were members of their school’s rowing team.

A request for prayers appears on the St. Ignatius website. “Daniel Murphy will be remembered as a great friend, strong student, loving son and faithful brother. The Saint Ignatius High School Community is in shock and grieving tonight,” the statement reads.

“Known as ‘Murph’ by his friends and teachers, he was a quiet leader who showed his heart through his work ethic. He loved being a student at Ignatius; he was always seen in his Ignatius sportswear. Murph was an honor student.”

The family of Daniel Loyke also released a statement on Monday, published by WKYC.

“As you can only imagine, this is the most difficult time for our family. While we are grateful that our Danny only suffered relatively minor injuries, all of our thoughts and prayers go out to the Murphy family on their incredible loss.

We are grateful and overwhelmed by the support we have received from family, friends, and particularly from the Ignatius community.

We need to extend a special thank you to the Ignatius crew team and coach Matthew Previts for their ongoing support.

We also want to thank the Solon Fire Rescue personnel and the Metro LifeFlight, trauma, and surgery teams at MetroHealth for the wonderful care they have given Danny.”

WKYC reports that the students used the homecoming dance just after the accident on Saturday evening as an impromptu prayer service. Police continue to investigate the cause of the accident.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV accident claims the life of Ohio teen, seriously injures one other

Ralich’s 20-year-old son Steven discovered his father’s overturned ATV on the path near the field where he had been driving. Some time later he discovered his father laying unresponsive in the soybean rows. Emergency medical professionals from a LifeFlight helicopter attempted unsuccessfully to revive Ralich. They could not determine a time of death but estimate that Ralich likely died instantly from the multiple injuries he sustained in the accident.

According to the Chronicle-Telegram, the Lorrain County Sheriff’s Department is conducting an investigation and will forward the results to state safety officials. The County coroner, Paul Matus, told the paper that “there was some damage to the ATV from overturning, and there may have been some other issues with the machine.”

The accident is puzzling to authorities because Ralich was known a skilled and responsible driver, the terrain was flat where the accident occurred, and investigators believe that speed was not an issue.

The sheriff’s department is analyzing Ralich’s ATV for signs of mechanical failure, but they are also investigating whether Ralich may have hit an animal.

Besides his son Steven, Ralich leaves behind his wife Holly and their 23-year-old daughter Carla.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Ohio man’s death in atv rollover puzzles investigators