Effingham County Sheriff’s deputies have charged the driver of an all-terrain vehicle involved in a Thursday afternoon accident that left a 3-year-old child seriously injured.

Steven Hancock, 43, from Guyton, has been charged with operating an off-road vehicle on a county roadway, duties of a driver to report an accident, driving with an expired driver’s license and lack of child safety restraints.

Deputies received a call from Effingham Hospital officials in reference to a child who was injured in an accident. The child was rushed to Memorial Health University Center with serious injuries.

Sheriff’s investigators discovered the child was not restrained in the vehicle. Deputies were dispatched to the accident scene and found skid marks and debris. The vehicle sustained significant damage, according to ECSO Detective David Ehsanipoor.

The child was a passenger on an all terrain vehicle that rolled over on Needlepoint Road in Effingham County after the driver lost control.

The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office reminds everyone that anyone who drives or is a passenger on these vehicles should utilize safety equipment and should not operate them on any public roadway.

The sheriff’s office recommends the following tips when operating an all-terrain vehicle:
• Get trained
• Wear a helmet
• No children on adult ATVs
• Don’t ride tandem
• Don’t ride on pavement
• Don’t ride under the influence