SLIDELL, La. — Authorities say a 14-year-old girl has died after an ATV she was riding on crashed near Slidell on Tuesday night.
According to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office, deputies were dispatched to Lefleur Drive around 6:15 p.m. after being told that an ATV crashed into a tree.
Investigators say two 14-year-old girls were riding a four-wheeler on Lefleur Drive when they "failed to maneuver a curve" and crashed into a tree. Neither girl was wearing a helmet and both were ejected from the ATV.
Paramedics took both girls to local hospitals where one later died from her injuries.
On Wednesday, the St. Tammany Parish Coroner identified the girl who died as 14-year-old Samia Rogers. The coroner said initial findings indicate that she died from blunt force trauma caused in the crash. An autopsy is scheduled later this week to determine her official cause of death.
The Slidell Police Department said that Rogers was an 8th-grade student at Slidell Junior High School. The police department said that its school resource officer is helping students who are mourning her death.
“This is any parent’s worst nightmare. Whenever a child is involved in a tragic accident, it really hits home and affects everyone involved,” Sheriff Randy Smith said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of both girls.”
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