The deaths of two 10-year-old girls found “cold and blue” underneath an ATV they crashed has now led to charges against the father of one of the victims, Minnesota authorities say.
The charges against Lance Koeckeritz come more than a year after his daughter, Savanna Koeckeritz, and her friend, Alexis “Lexi” Gibson, died in the April 22, 2023, rollover crash , McClatchy News reported.
A Washington County sheriff’s deputy said the girls were unconscious when they were found pinned underneath the ATV on Koeckeritz’s property in Afton.
“(The girls) were pinned face down under the ATV with a footrest on top of their neck and upper chest area with their feet under the ATV,” the deputy said in the complaint.
Both girls were pronounced dead at the scene and their causes of death were listed as asphyxia, according to the complaint.
Savanna was believed to be the operator of the vehicle, authorities said. Neither of the girls were wearing protective gear, including helmets and pads.
Deputies said the ATV the girls were riding has an engine size of 800cc, but the recommended engine size for children their ages is 110cc.
Koeckeritz was in his work trailer on the family’s property when the accident occurred, prosecutors said, and he was not aware of it until later informed. The trailer was described as being “nearly soundproof.”
“Koeckeritz informed detectives the children are allowed to operate the ATV whenever they wanted, and it is not necessary for them to check in with him or ask permission,” according to the sheriff’s office.
The father was charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter and two counts of child endangerment causing death, court records show.
Reached by the Star Tribune, Koeckeritz defended the girls operating the ATV, saying they spent “hundreds of hours” riding four-wheelers before the fatal crash.
“We lost our daughter and her friend. It’s devastating,” he told the publication. “The fact that the county prosecutor would even be contemplating charges is mind-blowing. Isn’t it enough that my other kids have lost our daughter due to a freak accident?”
Lexi and Savanna were part of the 4th/5th grade classroom at New Heights School in Stillwater, a school administrator told McClatchy News in 2023.
Their deaths “left a giant hole in our school community,” Principal Tom Kearney said in a statement.
Savanna was described as being “fearless” with an “outgoing and friendly” personality, according to an obituary.
“She always had a smile on her face, a hug to give, and always wanted to snuggle up to watch a movie or read a book,” the obituary said.
Lexi, according to her obituary, was known for her “infectious laugh and brilliant smile.”
“Her brown beautiful eyes sparkled,” loved ones said in the obituary. “She loved space and the northern lights and hanging out with her mom. Lexi possessed wisdom beyond her years.”
Afton is about a 30-mile drive southeast from downtown Minneapolis.
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