13-year-old killed in off-road vehicle crash several miles south of Utah border

CANE BEDS, Arizona (ABC4) — The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a 13-year-old female involved in an off-road vehicle crash Wednesday.

According to a press release from the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, on June 25, 2025, just before 8 p.m., deputies were called to a crash on private property in Cane Beds, an unincorporated community in Arizona roughly four miles from the Arizona-Utah border.

When law enforcement arrived at the scene, first responders from the Colorado City Fire Department advised that the victim was deceased.

The sheriff’s office said that the investigation found that two female juveniles were riding in a side-by-side vehicle in a dirt field on the property. The driver was doing “donuts” while the passenger leaned out of the vehicle.

After the driver turned sharply, the side-by-side overturned and landed on the passenger, “causing fatal injuries” according to the sheriff’s office. The driver could not get the vehicle off the passenger and ran approximately a quarter of a mile to get help; there was no cell service in the remote area to call for help.

According to the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, neither of the juveniles was using safety equipment at the time of the crash. The case is being sent to the Mohave County Attorney’s Office to be screened for potential charges.