A serious off-road vehicle accident left two adults dead and seven children injured at Indian Mountain ATV Park in Piedmont, Alabama, local authorities reported Sunday.

The incident occurred on Saturday when an RZR ATV, with nine occupants, collided with another vehicle, overturned and ended up crashing against a tree.

Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency Director Shawn Rogers said the driver was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene. An adult female, who had been airlifted to a trauma center, later died from her injuries.

Victims and Transportation of Injured

Authorities said the children ranged in age from 1 to 12. All were rushed: an adult female and three children by medical helicopter to hospitals in Birmingham; four other children were transported by ambulance to a hospital in Rome, Georgia.

Cherokee County Coroner Paul McDonald reported that the deceased man was the father of the seven children, and the woman was the mother of three of them. All of the victims were originally from Georgia.

Their identities have not been released pending notification of their families.

Possible Speeding and Alcohol Consumption

Cherokee County Sheriff Jeff Shaver said the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed and attempted to steer after colliding with another ATV, which swerved to avoid the collision.

The sheriff's office is awaiting toxicology results to determine if alcohol was a factor in the crash. In Cherokee County, the consumption and possession of alcohol remains illegal outside of municipalities due to regulations dating back to Prohibition.

Lack of Safety Precautions

Authorities confirmed that none of the nine occupants were wearing a harness or seat belt.

“I’m certain it’s not advisable to have nine people, especially small children, in an RZR without using safety harnesses,” Sheriff Shaver said.

Rogers, for his part, noted that while there is no regulation requiring all occupants to wear seatbelts in this type of vehicle, the accident reflects an issue of personal responsibility in protecting life.

Difficulties in the rescue

The accident occurred in a difficult-to-access area within the park, which complicated the arrival of medical teams. Indian Mountain ATV Park staff had to escort emergency services to the scene.

The two people riding in the other ATV were unharmed and tried to provide aid to the victims.

Sprawling over 7.5 square miles in the Appalachian Mountains, Indian Mountain ATV Park bills itself as one of the largest privately owned ATV parks in the southern United States.

A park employee said Sunday that officials were meeting with their attorneys and could issue an official statement in the coming hours.