14-year-old girl dies when ATV crashes into tree, Louisiana cops say. ‘Worst nightmare’

A 14-year-old was killed when an ATV she was riding struck a tree, ejecting her and another 14-year-old rider, according to a Louisiana sheriff’s office.

The two girls were riding the ATV in an area near Slidell when they failed to negotiate a curve and crashed into a tree at about 6:15 p.m. on April 25, according to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The two were taken to separate hospitals, the sheriff’s office said. Neither one had on a helmet.

One of the teens, who was identified by the Slidell Police Department as Samia Rogers, died of her injuries.

Community members mourned Rogers, who was an eighth grader at Slidell Junior High School. Many people shared a photo on Facebook of Rogers in a “Slidell Tigers” cheerleading uniform.

“I am truly (heartbroken) for this beautiful, sweet girl and her family,” Shannon Stevens wrote on Facebook. “Samia was just the sweetest … kindest girl. She did not have a mean bone in her body. She was such a wonderful role model for everyone.”

The Slidell Police Department said a school resource officer was at Rogers’ school to help students affected by her death.

Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith said in a statement that the tragedy was “any parent’s worst nightmare.”

“Whenever a child is involved in a tragic accident, it really hits home and affects everyone involved,” the statement says. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of both girls.”

Information about the injured girl’s condition was not immediately available.

Slidell is about 30 miles northeast of New Orleans.

This story was originally published April 26, 2023 at 6:21 PM with the headline "14-year-old girl dies when ATV crashes into tree, Louisiana cops say. ‘Worst nightmare’."