OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — With ATV trails opening today, the Wisconsin DNR is issuing a critical safety reminder —one that carries deep personal weight for a Winnebago County mother.
Joseph Mulroney, a Wisconsin DNR lieutenant, outlined the state's requirements for riders.
"Helmets are required for anybody under 18 years old. Seatbelts are required in UTVs for any occupants," Mulroney said.
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Those rules are ones Allexica Moeller wishes had been followed before a June 2024 crash claimed the life of her daughter, Kennedi Harris. Kennedi, 6, and her friend Mesa Fredenhagen, 11, collided with an SUV while riding together. Both girls died from their injuries. Moeller said the news "ruined everything."
"So many accidents happen that not only could be prevented, but the outcome could be so much better if we were using the seatbelts that the side-by-sides have. If we had helmets on, if we're making sure we're following these ATV laws," Moeller said.
At the time of the crash, Kennedi was riding as a passenger — something Moeller said she did not know about until after the crash.
Mulroney noted that state law restricts young children from operating ATVs on public land.
"Anyone who's under 12 cannot operate an ATV unless they're on private land being supervised by an adult," Mulroney said.
Moeller has turned her grief into advocacy, successfully pushing for new measures to prevent another accident.
"A few months after the accident, I think it was August of 2024, I got the speed limit reduced to 35 on that road and posted, so that hopefully this never happens to anybody else," Moeller said.
Twelve ATV-related deaths have been recorded in 2026.
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