6-year-old driver of child-sized ATV dies in Joliet crash

A 6-year-old child died in an ATV crash in Joliet.

Officers responded to the crash about 5 p.m. Saturday in the 900 block of Mission Boulevard, Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English said.

The 6-year-old child was driving a child-sized REX 110 ATV with an 8-year-old passenger when the “ATV lost control and struck a tree,” English said.

The children were not wearing helmets, he said.

The crash caused the 6-year-old to eject from the vehicle, he said. The 8-year-old child was not injured in the crash.

“The investigation to this point has indicated the parents were aware that the children were operating the ATV,” English said.

The child was declared dead at 6:33 p.m. at Prime Healthcare’s Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, according to the Will County Coroner’s Office.

The 6-year-old child may be from San Antonio, Texas, and visiting family in Joliet, English said.

“Accident investigators arrived at the scene to complete a full reconstruction of the crash as part of this investigation, which is still ongoing,” English said.

In a statement, Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans said “no words that can fully capture the sorrow of losing a child.”

“Our hearts are broken for the family, whose unimaginable grief is shared by our officers and the entire Joliet community. In times like this, we must come together to offer our prayers, strength, and unwavering support to those who are suffering,” Evans said.