Very sad

[telliman]

yep very sad indeed, thoughts are with the family, damn quads man, like the words made famous by travis pastrana, a quad is just a couch to chase you into the ground!

[cheese]

Absolutely horrific to hear that. The family must be devastated and James must be feeling pretty gutted too. Quads are so freaking scary, my mate rolled one at the pallets and he still has neck issues.

My thoughts are with the family also.

[theblacksmith]

Terrible tragic news. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this devastating event.Very sad indeed.
To all my friends and colleagues that Ive met(and havent yet met) through this awesome sport - please take care and ride safe. Protect yourself and others.

[mfordy]

Must confess, I double checked my boys safety gear yesterday before they went skidding. Condolences to the family.

[scott411]

my heart felt thoughts go uot for the family of the victim, and also to James and his family, this will be a hard time for everyone involved,

[takitimu]

My deepest sympathies to everyone in this case, most especially to the family, but those who helped/witnessed this tragedy will be doing it tough to.

[Gravel911]

Man this is so sad and so close to home. Condolences go out to the family and all involved.


Ex Waikato Times:

The owners of the Thundercross Valley Bike Park at Glen Murray spent yesterday "praying and praying" for the family of the six-year-old girl who died at the park when the quad bike she was riding overturned and crushed her on Saturday afternoon.
Amber Taylor Vincent, of Papakura, was killed about 3pm.
Park co-owner Fiona Fowlie discovered the accident had happened when she arrived at the 300ha property, west of Tuakau, on Saturday at 7pm after attending a children's charity event in Auckland.
She said she and co-owners James Fowlie, her former partner, and his brother Nick were desperately upset about the accident.
Despite attempts by James Fowlie and another man to give CPR to Amber for half an hour, she died before an ambulance and Westpac Waikato air ambulance arrived.
Amber had been at the off-road motocross park with her father, who saw the bike overturn and crush her helmet. Ms Fowlie said Amber had been travelling down a part of the track where there was a "zig-zag hill" when the quad bike overturned.
"James tried desperately hard with another guy doing CPR with her," Ms Fowlie said.
"I spent many hours out there (the park) last night with the police and this morning I'm at church praying for the family and for all of us," she told the Waikato Times yesterday.
"I'm praying for the family and for all of us to give them strength and guidance."
She said Amber's family was a "wreck".
Yesterday James and Nick Fowlie, a competitive motocross rider, were back at the park, which had reopened.
The park attracts motocross enthusiasts from Auckland and the Waikato.
Amber's body was taken to Waikato Hospital for an autopsy. A memorial service will be held for her on Wednesday at the ACG Strathallan School in Papakura.
The Labour Department, which investigates workplace related accidents, and police have confirmed they are investigating. Depending on the complexity, it could take up to six months.

[crazyhorse]

Such a sad loss at the worst time of year to lose a child too.

My thoughts are with the family

[Hitcher]

Sad but avoidable. Children should not be allowed to ride quads, full stop. Even adults flip them and kill themselves. These things are dangerous. Living in the country or owning a quad should not override common sense.

[camchain]

Thing that's been worrying me about this is, I hope the helmet wasn't a lightweight bicycle type. Would be too tough to bear for parents.

[Hitcher]

Thing that's been worrying me about this is, I hope the helmet wasn't a lightweight bicycle type. Would be too tough to bear for parents.

Even if she'd been wearing a "proper" helmet, it appears unlikely that it would have saved her. There are some activities that should be denied to children, irrespective of "safety equipment". Riding quad bikes is one such. Riding ZX6s on the open road is another. So too is playing with loaded firearms. While I feel for the parents' loss, it is their negligence that has resulted in this tragedy.

Unfortunately it is unlikely that this will be the last child to be needlessly killed by a quad bike, despite high-profile prosecutions.

[barty5]

Sad but avoidable. Children should not be allowed to ride quads, full stop. Even adults flip them and kill themselves. These things are dangerous. Living in the country or owning a quad should not override common sense.

Good point but in the right place they can be ok for kids. As for this accident i cant understand why someone would let a 6 year old go down that hill let alone on a quad when there are 2 by far safer options i wouldnt let our kids go near it even on 2 wheels, It is a badly rutted steep hill drops round 200 ft over around 300feet in lenght

[Reckless]

My condolences to the parents and best wishes to James and Fiona.

Secondly I can't think that a proper MX helmet could be crushed by a kids size quad but anything is possible I suppose, also can't think where there is a Zig-Zag Hill bit up the kiddies or learners area. But again the Newspaper could have it wrong?

Hope James and Fiona are OK this will be tough on them.
No matter who, what where or why, a sad day to loose such a young life!

[Gravel911]

Good point but in the right place they can be ok for kids. As for this accident i cant understand why someone would let a 6 year old go down that hill let alone on a quad when there are 2 by far safer options i wouldnt let our kids go near it even on 2 wheels, It is a badly rutted steep hill drops round 200 ft over around 300feet in lenght

Hey Barty
Is that the part of the track that you turn hard left just thru the gate (top corner of the paddock that the kids track is in)? Then go along the top and drop off and zig zag down the hill, quite narrow and really tight corners.
The alternative is straight through the gate and down the fence line.

[barty5]

Hey Barty
Is that the part of the track that you turn hard left just thru the gate (top corner of the paddock that the kids track is in)? Then go along the top and drop off and zig zag down the hill, quite narrow and really tight corners.
The alternative is straight through the gate and down the fence line.

Yup thats the one Staircase hill there is the option to go straight through and down the hill easy steepish.

Second option is the staircase real short and steep. (where accident happened)

Thrid option (B loop) you go as far as the staircase but instead you keep following the fence accross the top of the hill and dont go down the valley at all