An Aberdeen High School student was killed Wednesday evening in an accident involving an off-road vehicle in Havre de Grace, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday afternoon.
Tyler Lee Hickman, 16, of Perryman, Md. was found by sheriff’s deputies just before 8 p.m. Wednesday lying facedown at the bottom of a rock-layered hill near a driveway on the 2400 block of Old Robin Hood Road in Havre de Grace. Hickman was conscious and alert when deputies arrived, but had sustained a large laceration to his head and began seizing.
According to police, paramedics arriving on scene attempted to have Hickman flown to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma unit, but state police were unable to send an air transport due to inclement weather. Hickman was instead transported by the Aberdeen Volunteer Fire Company to Harford Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:25 p.m.
Deputies found a 1984 Honda three-wheeler approximately 30 to 40 feet from Hickman. According to police, Hickman was operating the vehicle at the home of a relative when he lost control of the three-wheeler and struck a pine tree. Hickman was thrown between 10 feet and 15 feet into a rock-layered embankment. Police said deputies did not observe a helmet near Hickman or in the immediate area.
RIP young man.
3 wheelers were taken off the market years ago because of control issues. I had many fun times on a Honda 3 wheeler in the 80’s, but they had to go. Too bad this young man was not wearing a helmet.
I like how you jump to conclusions that it was the machine that caused him to crash, as if it had a mind of its own and suddenly caused him to be thrown from it. I’ve been riding 3 wheelers since I started riding 10 years ago. I have never crashed, and I ride them through the roof. If you take the time to properly learn how to control the machine, THEN YOU WILL NOT CRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If this were a 4 wheeler, all of you anti-ATV activist yahoos would be all over 4 wheeler manufacturers rear ends for manufacturing a machine that can easily tip over. For what it’s worth, I’ve tipped more quads over than I have 3 wheelers. Morale of the story is: Don’t try things beyond your control, AND WEAR A HELMET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where in this quote is blame placed on the 3-wheeler?
“RIP young man. 3 wheelers were taken off the market years ago because of control issues. I had many fun times on a Honda 3 wheeler in the 80?s, but they had to go. Too bad this young man was not wearing a helmet.”
My opinion is that they are less safe than 4 wheelers but I do not believe the government should have banned them, nor do I believe the machine is responsible for this tragedy. A helmet and proper training may have spared this young life.
I’m sorry for the loss of this young life, and my thoughts and prayers are with Tyler Hickman’s family and friends.
This type of accident is the reason why there need to be tougher laws on atv’s and dirt bikes and other such off road vehicles. This type of accident can be prevented and should be prevented. It also calls into question where were the parents? With that being said my thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
Um..No there are laws already on the books. This is not the parents fault, it was a poor choice with an unfortunate ending. The family is suffering enough without some outsider pointing fingers. And we don’t need new laws to cover the laws that are already out there. 3-Wheelers were taken off the market but can be ridden in fun and safely. Those who still have them are grandfathered. Lawn Darts were taken off the market (Steel version) because people were getting stabbed from above fooling around…doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyed with responsible play. The Maryland answer all over again.
WHAT KIND OF NEW LAWS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IMPLEMENTED? LOL
If the kid had half a brain to wear a helmet he would have had a better chance of surviving. It wasn’t the 3 wheelers fault but all on the kid. If your kid got cut by a piece of paper you’d be the type of parent that freaks out and tries to get paper banned. ATC’s are just as safe as any other atv or vehicle if you ride within your abilities.
Your comments are pretty harsh, this family just lost their son and that isn’t going to help the rest of us who ride three wheelers. The kid should of had a helmet, its not the ATC’s fault but please have some sympathy for the family!
As a former teacher of Tyler’s I was very sad to hear this news. My thoughts are prayers are with his family.
It’s sad to see someone lose their life, but it was easily preventable. It’s not the three wheeler’s fault, and it’s not ATVs in general. When you don’t wear something that is MADE SOLEY TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE, and you ride dangerously, the blame is completely within your own fault. Someone has died due to that mistake. Trikes don’t kill people, stupid, or otherwise unsafe people kill people. There’s no point in asking where were the parents, thats something that is asked by people who don’t understand that the freedom, and the joy of riding is not something that SHOULD be completely supervised, instead the foundations of safety, and experience should be taught. With proper safety equipment, enough seat time, and responsibility, accidents are extremely rare. My heart goes out to the family, but don’t demonize something your son/grandson/friend liked to do, there’s no point in it.
First off I am sorry to hear about this and my sympathies to the family involved.
Second to the first comment saying that there is control issues with three wheelers?? Come on why blame the atc? Its wasn’t the ATC’s fault that this kid didnt have a helmet on. The ATC didnt make this kid ride outside of his alilities. Its sad that this day and age that there is still kids out there that hop on ATV’s WITHOUT a helmet!!!!
What if he was riding a dirtbike or heck even a bicycle? Would there be comments about banning bicycles??? No!
Again this was a tragic accident that was cause by 2 things and 2 things only, 1. The young man didnt have the proper safety gear on and 2. Riding out of the operators abilities.
R.I.P
Where in my post do I actually blame the machine? A statement of fact was used – “3 wheelers were taken off the market years ago because of control issues.” and then I gave my opinion that “…they had to go.”
Here’s a link to an interesting article from Time Magazine around the time of the banning:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,966434,00.html
I have mixed feelings about them; like I said in my original post – ” I had many fun times on a Honda 3 wheeler in the 80?s, but they had to go.”
This was a very tragic accident, and my heart goes out to Tyler’s family. He was 16 and yes he should of been wearing a helmet. But kids are kids, they don’t always stop and think of what could happen, and kids don’t always make the right choice. My son is 17 and he skate boards without wearing his helmet, it scare’s me that he could get hurt if not killed from a fall and hit his head. But I can not be with him every second to make sure he does what I say. Tyler made a wrong choice by ridding the atv without a helmet, he paid with his life for that wrong choice. We need to talk to our kids and pray they will think twice before they go without wearing a helmet. R.I.P. Tyler.
This is really sad and I pray for the family. It’s hard when this happens to anyone especially someone so young.
I too lost a son so can relate to the loss. My prayers and thoughts to the family and those surrounded by this situation. Please folks don’t blame the ATC as accidents happen on all motor driven vehicles. Helmets and safety gear are a must. That is why we have seatbelt laws but cars aren’t banned when a driver is hurt or killed for not wearing it. I have several grandchildren who ride three wheelers with us quite often. They know the rules, EVERYONE wears a helmet. We teach the children at a young age how to ride just as I was taught to ride a bicycle, I fell a few times before I got it! May God bless this family, I am sincerely sorry for your loss.
I had the honor of teaching Tyler in 7th grade. He was a joy to have in the classroom. I remember going on vacation and running into Tyler and his family. They are truely wonderful people. I was teaching on Thursday when I received the news about him. I cannot tell you how much my heart breaks for the loss of this young man and what his family is now going through. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
Im Tyler’s mom he did not die from no helmet hhe dead after my aunt gave this to kids on farm to ride and the old piece of shit he only took 1 ride up the lane then lost control possiable was ran off road by sum1 comin in lane the volunteer fire dept was slow in action my brother had to take strecther down rocks he was not able to flown out because of a storm that never came they refused us to ride in ambulance then waited till he was dead to let us see him he had a torn his heart atttery in half from the bike landin on him and they kept doin CPR cusin more damage to him
I was in a 3 wheeler accident a little over a month ago. I was trying to go up a hill, and because I was inexperienced, I did not make it. I rolled backwards down a 20ft ravine and landed in the bottom of a creek bed with a 400-500 pound 3 wheeler on top of me. The handlebars were pinning me down by my neck. My step-dad found me after 10 minutes. I was lucky and walked away with bruised ribs and a sprained wrist and some severe nerve damage in my hand. I do agree that 3 wheelers can be dangerous, but I think it is more of an operator error than a machine error when accidents occur. Speaking from my experience at least, I was overly excited to ride and too eager to try things that my skill level could not compare too.