Afton father charged after 10-year-old daughter took friend on ATV ride that killed them

Nick Ferraro, Pioneer Press
Updated ·5 min read

An Afton man has been charged after his 10-year-old daughter gave her friend a ride on a full-size ATV that led to a crash that killed both girls last year.

The Washington County Attorney’s Office charged Lance Alan Koeckeritz, 54, with two counts each of second-degree manslaughter and child endangerment in connection with the deaths of his daughter, Savanna Koeckeritz, and Alexis “Lexi” Gibson, also 10, of Mahtomedi, at his Afton property April 22, 2023.

When the girls didn’t return in time to leave for a movie, a relative went out looking for them, Friday’s criminal complaint says. They were found trapped under the ATV unconscious and not breathing, and later pronounced dead at the scene.

Koeckeritz told deputies at the scene the children were allowed to operate the ATV whenever they wanted and didn’t need to check in with him or ask permission, the complaint says.

He added, “the girls would take the ATV for brief periods at a time” and that they would return to a camper on the property or the home. The property is just under 8½ acres with hilly terrain and worn dirt paths throughout, the complaint notes.

The girls were on a 2013 CFMoto, with an 800cc engine and saddle-style seat. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the recommended engine size for children ages 10 and up is up to 110cc.

In Minnesota, anyone can drive an ATV on private property with permission from the owner. But to legally drive one on public property, kids ages 12 to 15 must be supervised by an adult and have a valid ATV safety certificate.

Koeckeritz was charged by summons and has a first appearance on the charges scheduled for Aug. 19. A message seeking comment has not been returned, and an attorney is not listed in his court case file.

County Attorney Kevin Magnuson declined to comment Tuesday on the charging decision, which an ATV insider said is atypical.

Father working in office trailer

According to the complaint, deputies and first-responders arrived at the Koeckeritz property in the 1000 block of Neal Avenue around 5 p.m. and found the girls lying on their backs with Jennifer Koeckeritz, Savanna’s mother, and another child performing CPR on them.

Detectives saw that neither girl was wearing helmets or other protective gear, the complaint says.

State law requires that ATV riders under age 18 wear helmets while on public land, but not private property.

Detectives were told that Alexis and Savanna went to the home after school the day before for a sleepover. Both girls were fourth-graders in the combined fourth/fifth-grade class at New Heights School in Stillwater.

Savanna’s mother was at work at the time of the crash, while her father was home.

Koeckeritz told detectives he never left the home, that he was in his office trailer from approximately 1 to 5 p.m. He showed detectives the trailer office and said he did not hear any disturbances while he worked.

“Detectives observed the work trailer to be nearly soundproof where they could barely hear yelling directly outside the trailer door,” the complaint says.

Savanna’s mother planned to bring the girls to a movie at 5:15 p.m. She had communicated her plans to Koeckeritz earlier in the day, and around 4 p.m. asked a child at the home to get the girls ready for the movie.

Jennifer Koeckeritz arrived at the home around 4:15 p.m. and was unable to locate the girls despite searching for them for over 15 minutes. At approximately 5 p.m. a second child found the girls pinned under the ATV and unconscious.

Koeckeritz remained in the work trailer until he was told of the emergency after the girls were found, the complaint says.

Autopsies showed the girls died of asphyxia.

According to the manufacturer’s specs, the ATV weighs about 1,000 pounds with a full tank of gas.

Savanna and Alexis were among 15 riders who died in ATV crashes in Minnesota last year and among four under age 18. Of the total fatalities last year, all but three were caused by rollover crashes, according to DNR data. In 2022, 22 riders were killed in ATV crashes, three of whom were children.

‘Tragic situation’

Ron Potter, president of the ATV Association of Minnesota, one of the largest riders groups in the country with 12,000 members, said safe riding for kids includes being able to fit the ATV they’re driving. While standing on foot pegs, they should be able to reach and control the handlebars and “still have three inches of clearance between your butt and the seat.”

ATV manufacturers say no one under the age of 16 should operate full-size ATVs, “but because kids vary so much in size, we have gone after legislation that says if they fit, then they can ride,” he said. “And I don’t know how big (Savanna and Alexis) were. I have no idea, so couldn’t say if they fit or not.”

Although not fully aware of the circumstances of the crash, the criminal case “seems unusual,” he said. “But I’m not with the enforcement division, so I haven’t heard of something like that happening in the past. But that was a very tragic situation.”

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