COSMOS -- A 5-year-old girl was seriously injured Sunday in an ATV accident near Cosmos and a rural Darwin man is in jail on charges of second-degree driving while impaired and criminal vehicular operation resulting in injury.
According to the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office, the accident happened around 3 p.m. Sunday at the Thompson Lake County Park west of Cosmos
A caller stated that an adult male driver, later identified as Michael Vollmer, 30, was attempting to drive an ATV up a steep embankment and the 2001 Yamaha 4-wheeler rolled over backwards onto the driver and 5-year-old female passenger.
The girl, who has not been identified, was first taken to the Meeker Memorial Hospital in Litchfield and then transported by Life Link helicopter to the Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis with life-threatening injuries.
According to the sheriff’s report, the caller tried to help the child at the scene, but Vollmer took the child from her and then left the scene on the ATV.
ADVERTISEMENT
Vollmer reportedly brought the child to her grandparents’ residence in Cosmos.
Cosmos Ambulance went to the residence and transported the child to the Meeker Memorial Hospital for treatment. She was later airlifted to Minneapolis.
Neither the child nor Vollmer was wearing helmets.
Vollmer and the child were not related. Vollmer is a friend of the child's father, according to the report.
Vollmer was arrested and is being held at the Meeker County Jail on the charges of second-degree driving while impaired and criminal vehicular operation resulting in injury.
The accident is currently under investigation by the Meeker County Sheriff's Office.
A Meeker County sheriff's deputy, Cosmos Ambulance, and Cosmos Fire Department were dispatched to the scene.
