Teen flown to hospital after serious ATV crash in Union County

A 13-year-old girl from Mifflinburg was flown to Geisinger after a serious ATV crash in West Buffalo Township, a response that points to a trauma-level emergency rather than a routine rescue. State police said the girl was riding as a passenger on an ATV traveling on Reber Road.

The crash hit close to home in Mifflinburg, a Union County borough in the Susquehanna River Valley, where ATVs are a familiar part of rural life on farms, wooded lots and trail routes. In a setting like that, the danger can turn quickly when terrain changes, speed climbs or a rider is not in full control of the machine.

Pennsylvania does put clear limits on young ATV riders. State guidance says no one under 8 may operate an ATV on state-owned property, and riders from age 8 until their 16th birthday may operate only on land owned by a parent or guardian unless they have completed ATV safety training and received a certificate. The same guidance says riders age 8 and 9 are limited to 70cc or less.

For riders under 16 crossing a highway, state law adds another safeguard: a valid safety certificate and supervision by someone 18 or older. Pennsylvania also says ATVs must be registered and titled to be ridden lawfully in the state unless they are used solely on land owned and leased by the operator.

Officials with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources have also urged riders to stay on designated trails and watch for hazards, especially in areas where unofficial paths, slopes and roadside access points can make a vehicle harder to control. In a crash involving a teenager, the questions families often ask are the simplest ones: was the rider trained, was the machine the right size, was the route appropriate and were the rules being followed.

The girl’s airlift to Geisinger underscored how fast an ATV outing can become a medical emergency in Union County.