KY sheriff’s office conducts search warrants in fatal ATV crash investigation
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Sheriff’s office executed two warrants tied to fatal ATV crash investigation.
- 16-year-old passenger died; driver, a minor, charged with DUI amid probe.
- Social services, schools and prosecutors conducting parallel investigations.
The Perry County Sheriff’s Office announced it has executed two search warrants in connection with its investigation of a fatal ATV crash that left one 16-year-old high girl dead and another 16-year-old girl charged with DUI.
One of the searches was for the cellphone of Noah Back, who owns the ATV that crashed. That search warrant was issued on suspicion of a crime unrelated to the crash, according to the sheriff’s office, but it does not specify what the alleged crime was. The sheriff’s office did not say what the other warrant was for.
The ATV crash happened crashed Saturday night on Oakwood Avenue in Vicco, according to WKYT. Perry County Sheriff Joe Engle said two girls and two men were on the ATV when a 16-year-old driver lost control and fell over a culvert-type embankment. The sheriff’s office has not said if Back was one of the men who was on the ATV.
The crash killed Emilynn Clark, 16, a passenger in the ATV. She was a sophomore at Perry County Central High School, according to a GoFundMe created by her uncle.
Alcohol is believed to have been a factor in the crash, Engle previously said. The driver, who was not identified because she is a minor, was charged with DUI.
Back has not been criminally charged as of Thursday morning, according to online court records.
An investigation into the wreck is ongoing.
Perry County Schools said one of the men involved in the crash recently volunteered as a basketball coach, but is no longer working with the school district. The man’s identity was not provided.
“The Perry County Schools is actively investigating circumstances surrounding this event,” Perry County Schools said in a Facebook post. “We are committed to ensuring a thorough and transparent process and we are working closely with local authorities and relevant agencies.”
The sheriff’s office said social services is conducting an independent investigation. A spokesperson for the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services could not be immediately reached for comment.
Perry County Central High School officials said they were saddened by Emilynn’s death. The school district “extended its deepest sympathies” to Emilynn’s family and friends.
“The heart of our school district is broken, and we are praying for God’s comfort to our students, our families, and our entire community during this most difficult time,” Perry County Schools said in a Facebook post.
Emilynn’s GoFundMe has raised more than $10,000 as of Thursday morning. The money will go directly to covering the cost of Emilynn’s funeral and monument, according to her uncle.
