BRADFORD COUNTY, Fla. – The Bradford County sheriff emphasized the dangers of four-wheelers and how riders can stay safe as the community mourned the death of a 16-year-old girl who died in an all-terrain vehicle accident.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Madison Sams was driving the ATV and her 14-year-old friend was a passenger when it rolled over and flipped on top of one of them Friday afternoon on private hunting land in Lawtey.
Investigators said the 14-year-old girl called 911, and it took several first responders to lift it off.
RELATED: 1 teen killed, 1 critically injured in ATV crash in Lawtey
Sams died at the scene. The 14-year-old girl was airlifted to UF Health in Jacksonville with critical injuries, but has since been released from the hospital.
Just Sunday night in Ocala, troopers said, a 12-year-old girl died in an ATV wreck.
The cause of both crashes is still under investigation.
News4Jax on Tuesday spoke with Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith about the dangers of four-wheelers, and how riders can stay safe after a tearful tribute to Sams, in which her classmates released balloons in her honor.
"The kids are known by us. They are our family," Smith said. "(It's a) tough time. When our kids are hurt, or tragedy strikes, it hurts us too."
Smith, still upset, said it should be a wake-up call. Some four-wheelers can top 80 mph, and weigh close to a thousand pounds.
"When this thing rolls over on you, you're not going to be able to get it off of you," Smith said.
The sheriff said ATVs out in the rural counties are a way of life. He's not saying that people shouldn't use them, he just wants to make sure that everyone is safe and trained.
Deputies who use ATVs took News4Jax on a closed course to demonstrate the safe ways to ride. They said riders should always wear a helmet, know the landscape where they are riding, avoid having passengers and follow the guidelines listed on the ATV.
"I'm the sheriff and I preach these things," Smith said. "I see these incidents and it scares the hell out of me, to be honest."
He said parents need to be extra careful with their children, and if they let them ride, make sure they follow all the rules.
"That is our responsibility to make sure that happens," Smith said.
Friends of Sam's family said her loved ones are consoling each other during this difficult time. Her funeral is set for Thursday in Lake Butler.