Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating a fatal off-road vehicle (ORV) accident that occurred yesterday (4/20/2026) afternoon in Madison County.
At approximately 4:50 p.m., Indiana Conservation Officers, along with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, were dispatched to the area near the 15300 block of North 100 West in Summitville for a single vehicle ORV accident with injuries.
Initial investigation reveals that a 10-year-old juvenile was operating an ORV on private property when the passenger, a 13-year-old juvenile, was ejected from the machine. The passenger was pronounced dead on the scene.
Neither operator nor the passenger were wearing helmets or protective equipment at the time of the accident. The incident is still under investigation.
Indiana Conservation Officers urge owners, operators and passengers of ORVs to follow all manufacturers’ safety recommendations and to properly use all safety equipment, including seatbelts and helmets. For information on ORV laws and safe operating procedures, please visit offroad-ed.com/IN/handbook/ and on.IN.gov/offroading.
Agencies assisting on scene were the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, Madison County Fire, and Madison County Emergency Medical Services.
To view all DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.