SUMMIT STATION - A 57-year-old Minersville man was killed and a 4-year-old boy was injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident Wednesday in Wayne Township, according to state police at Schuylkill Haven.
Dennis Reichert died at the scene, while the boy, Reichert's grandson, was taken by ambulance to Reading Hospital and Medical Center, West Reading, where he was treated for injuries that are not life-threatening, police said.
At 6:05 p.m., Reichert was driving an ATV on a dirt road, Acorn Lane, about a quarter-mile east of Route 183. The boy was a passenger. Neither of them was wearing helmets, police said.
Reichert lost control of the vehicle while attempting to avoid collision with an animal.
"We don't know what kind of animal it was," said Trooper William Luckenbill, who was at the scene.
The ATV rolled over and both Reichert and the boy were thrown to the ground, police said.
The investigation is still continuing, Luckenbill said. The officer in charge is Trooper Bernard S. Spece Jr.