13-Year-Old Texas Boy Dies After His ATV Flips in Crash with 3 Friends: ‘Unimaginable Time of Grief’

A tight-knit Texas town is grieving the loss of a middle school student after a tragic ATV crash over Thanksgiving weekend.

Robert “Treb” McKinnon of Decatur died on Nov. 29 when the all-terrain vehicle he was riding in with three friends overturned, according to local officials.

“McCarroll Middle School and our entire community is mourning the death of Treb McKinnon, one of our students, following a tragic accident,” the Decatur Independent School District wrote in a message to families and staff. “We ask that you keep the McKinnons close in your hearts and in your prayers. Our school community is holding this family in love and support during an unimaginable time of grief.”

Wise County EMS Chief Randall Preuninger told local newspaper Wise County Messenger that the crash occurred around 4:30 p.m. on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend in the 300 block of County Road 3250.

The ATV flipped during the incident, according to local outlet Fox 4.

McKinnon and two other minors were taken to Medical City Decatur, where the 13-year-old was pronounced dead, per the Messenger. “One of the critically injured juveniles … was later flown to Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth by PHI Air Medical,” the outlet reported. “The third had serious injuries and was treated in Decatur. The fourth juvenile had minor injuries and was not transported by ambulance from the scene.”

A fundraiser set up to support McKinnon’s family has raised more than $13,000 as of Dec. 4, the day before his Dec. 5 funeral.

In an online obituary, loved ones described McKinnon as a bright light in the community.

“A gifted athlete and loyal friend, Treb had a way of making others laugh and feel welcomed. He dreamed of one day playing football for Ohio State and trained with the determination of someone far beyond his years,” it reads. “He loved the Dallas Cowboys, Friday night lights and every chance to be on the field with teammates and friends.”

The obituary also notes that “teachers recall a determined, respectful student who showed up ready to work hard and give his best.”Thinking