ATV riding continues as popular pastime

Julian Welch, an upcoming seventh-grader, loves playing football and basketball.

But when he’s not participating in either of those sports, he enjoys riding his Kawasaki four-wheeler.

It's a pastime that continues to be popular in the Rockmart area, despite rising gasoline costs.


Welch, who was taught by his cousin Deshawn Glanton, learned how to ride an ATV when he was 9 years old and said the one thing he isn’t too fond of, is going mudding.

“I don’t like getting wet,” he said. “I get too dirty.”

Although he doesn’t like getting all messy, he's experienced it once before.

“One time he came home,” Welch’s mom, April Welch said, “with mud all in his eyebrows and his ears.”

“But I don’t like that,” he said.

Most kids, and some adults too, would disagree with Welch about riding in the mud. He on the other hand said he prefers to ride when it’s dry outside.

When it comes to playing it safe, Welch said he doesn’t do as much on the four-wheeler he has now, as he did on the smaller one, because it’s scary.

“On the other one,” Welch’s mom added, “he used to do doughnuts.

”But since the ATV he has now is bigger, he said he doesn’t do doughnuts because it might flip, adding, “And it’s heavier.”

He hasn’t had any major accidents and added wrecking is something he’s trying to avoid.

He recalled seeing one of his friends wreck while riding up a hill.

Welch said the ATV flipped backwards, but his friend was OK and he helped him turn the four-wheeler back over.

”I always stress safety,” Welch’s mom said. “Wear his helmet, be careful and go slow.

“Stop at stop signs,” she said. “And always watch for cars.”

When riding at night, he turns on his light and wears clothing that is viewable to others.

He said at times he wishes they had other places to ride.

“I want to ride different places,” he said. “But riding in the streets is illegal.”

Three kids escape serious harm in four-wheeler accident in Mossy Head

Three youngsters from Mossy Head learned about the dangers of 4-wheeling without protective gear and lived to tell about it.

According to the report filed by the Florida Highway patrol, on July 3, around 1:30 p.m., Jimmy Thomas, 12, of DeFuniak springs, J.J. Gavin, 10, of Munson, and 2-year-old Hunter McKinney, also of DeFuniak, were eastbound on E. Clover Lane in Mossy Head on their 2007 ATV at a "high rate of speed".

They entered a puddle in a low point in the road and overturned. All three were thrown from the vehicle and none were wearing a helmet or protective gear.

The two older boys were taken to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola and the two-year-old to Crestview, all with what FHP reported as "minor" injuries.

"The mother of the 2-year-old was watching the children and stated that the children were allowed to ride the all terrain vehicle, a four-wheeler, but were to stay in front of the house. The crash occurred several roads south of the residence," reported Sgt. Jason Peacock of FHP in his report.