Teen’s ATV death raises safety issues

Jeanne Cosgrove has seen her share of injuries from ATV accidents during her 20 years as an intensive care nurse in Las Vegas.

So she took notice Sunday when her Facebook friends posted messages about the death of Christina Portaro, a 16-year-old girl from Las Vegas who suffered fatal injuries the previous day while driving an all-terrain vehicle in Brian Head, Utah.

"I think it's devastating when you hear of a family losing a child," Cosgrove said Monday. "It's more devastating when it's something that could have been prevented."

For members of the Portaro family, it is the second time in a matter of months that they have had to mourn the loss of a child. Christina's 22-year-old brother, Michael, was fatally shot on March 30 in Las Vegas.

Christina Portaro, a junior at Faith Lutheran Junior/Senior High School, was driving down a gravel road when she lost control of her four-wheel ATV about 7 p.m. Saturday, a witness said. Her helmet came off in the accident, and she died at the scene after suffering severe head trauma.

Safe Kids USA and the American Academy of Pediatrics both object to children under 16 using ATVs. At 16, Christina Portaro was "right on the border of what we say is acceptable," Cosgrove said.

"The ATV has the same power as a motor vehicle, and that's what a lot of people don't realize," she said.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 833 ATV-related fatalities were reported in 2006, and 17 percent of those deaths involved children under 16.

From 1982 through 2006, Nevada reported 71 ATV-related fatalities, and Utah reported 146. Emergency rooms also treat thousands of ATV-related injuries every year.

Cosgrove, injury prevention coordinator for trauma services at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center and director of Clark County Safe Kids, said children who are 16 or older should have a driver's license and know how to drive before operating an ATV. She said they also should take an ATV safety course, wear protective gear and travel on approved trails or roads.

FRIEND REPORTED TEXTING

Chandler Young told the Review-Journal she was following Christina Portaro on a separate ATV when the accident occurred. Young said her friend appeared to be trying to text on her cellphone as they went down a hill.

"I was behind her about 20 feet, and she was texting with her right hand on the phone, and her left hand was across her body on the throttle, trying to steer," Young said.

Young said her friend was wearing a helmet, but it was unfastened.

Cosgrove said the teenager could have died even if her helmet had remained intact -- and even if she had not been distracted by her cellphone. However, she added, "No one operating any kind of motor vehicle should have any kind of distractions, including texting."

Cosgrove equated driving an ATV to "driving a convertible car without a seat belt."

The nurse said drivers could hit a bump, lose control and be thrown from the vehicle. She said they could suffer a brain injury in the fall if they are not wearing a helmet, but they also could suffer organ injuries, such as liver or spleen lacerations, that are potentially fatal if not treated immediately.

QUICK TREATMENT KEY

Cosgrove said accident victims need to reach a trauma center within one hour, known as the "golden hour" in the trauma field, for the best chance of survival.

"Where ATV accidents become an additional problem is that most times people are riding them in rural or off-road areas where EMS is not readily available to treat or transport," she said.

Michael Portaro graduated from Faith Lutheran in 2006. The aspiring rapper was fatally shot outside the Tenaya Creek Brewery on Tenaya Way near Cheyenne Avenue while selling tickets to his up­coming concert. His brother Joe graduated last year and is a reserve quarterback for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

UNLV football coach Bobby Hauck is giving Joe Portaro room to mourn his sister. "I can't even imagine how devastating that is," Hauck said Monday. "Our prayers are with them, and Joe's going to work at his pace, so whatever Joe wants, he's going to get."

Authorities have said Michael Portaro was killed in a crime of opportunity by 22-year-old Brandon Javon Hill, who then stole his car. Hill, who is being held at the Clark County Detention Center, has denied any involvement in the slaying.

Review-Journal writer Mark Anderson contributed to this report. Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0264.