Police are asking off-road motoring enthusiasts to emphasize safety following the collision Sunday between an all-terrain vehicle that was crossing North Nechako Road and an oncoming sport utility vehicle.
Minor injuries were suffered as the Jeep rolled over when the driver swerved to unsuccessfully avoid the ATV, a side-by-side model that was carrying two people.
The ATV's driver, a 14-year-old girl, was ticketed for driving without due care and attention, without a helmet and without insurance.
Prince George RCMP Cst. Craig Douglass said collisions between the two types of vehicles are rare but often have serious consequences.
"We certainly had the potential for severe injuries and maybe even death," Douglass said. "And for this young operator, it could've easily killed two."
RCMP have been receiving a steady stream of calls about underage drivers and riders making their way to trails and sandpits along the sides of city roads, particularly in the Hart but also in College Heights.
"And in the winter, of course, we get snowmobilers riding down streets to get to trails," Douglass said.
Douglass said the vehicles should be transported via licenced trucks and trailers to trailheads and the users should wear helmets once they're out riding.
While RCMP do send officers out to complaints, Douglass said offenders are often hard to catch and the calls mean police are taken away from other calls that could be more serious.
He urged parents to take more responsibility for their youngsters' actions.
Given the number of young riders ripping around the Bellamy Road area, Larry Johnson said he's not surprised the accident happened and predicted more will occur.
"Somebody's going to get killed," he said. "They do 60, 70 miles per hour because they try to get from point A to point B as fast as they possibly can."
The engine noise is constant during the late afternoons and evenings, he added.
