9-year-old girl airlifted after ATV crash near Hibbing
A 9-year-old girl was airlifted from a Hibbing-area ATV crash Thursday night, and a 4-year-old riding with her suffered minor injuries.
A 9-year-old girl was airlifted to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth after an ATV crash near Carey Lake Road in Hibbing on Thursday night. A 4-year-old girl was also on the vehicle and was taken to Fairview Range with minor injuries, while the adult male driver was not hurt.
Hibbing police said officers responded around 7:05 p.m. and that impairment was not a factor in the crash. The response brought together the Hibbing Police Department, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, Chisholm Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol and Hibbing Fire/EMS, a reminder of how quickly a rural recreation crash can turn into a major emergency when a child is seriously hurt.
The case also puts a spotlight on Minnesota’s ATV rules, which are written to keep young riders off machines they may not be ready to handle. State law says children under 12 may not operate an all-terrain vehicle on public lands or waters. Riders who are 12 to 15 generally must have a valid safety certificate and be accompanied by an adult age 18 or older, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says ATV safety certification is required for anyone born after July 1, 1987, who operates on public lands.
That certification is not a one-step formality. The DNR says students ages 10 to 15 take an online course and then complete a hybrid class, and the certification does not become valid until age 12. The agency also warns that, despite manufacturer warnings and restrictive laws, children continue to sustain severe injuries on ATVs. Its safety guidance recommends helmets, training and close supervision, especially when younger riders are involved.
Terrain is part of the danger in St. Louis County, where wooded trails, ditch lines and uneven ground can turn a routine ride into a rollover or collision in seconds. The county saw another youth ATV crash south of Hibbing in the Silica area on June 28, 2025, when a 16-year-old girl was injured in a rollover involving three teens and no helmets. That earlier case, along with Thursday’s crash near Carey Lake Road, shows the risk is not abstract for Iron Range families. It is a recurring summer hazard that can send children from a trail to an air ambulance in minutes.
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