A 14-year-old Franklin Park Middle School student was killed Friday afternoon when he was involved in a side-by-side crash in rural Kinmundy. According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, Wesley Hunter was the passenger in a side-by-side as it was traveling on Brown Church Road at the intersection with Lane Road.

The vehicle was occupied by three 14-year-old Salem area boys when it flipped over as they attempted to turn around and return to the nearby home of one of their grandparents. Wesley was reportedly thrown out the door and the side-by-side landed on top of him. The two other boys were not thrown from the vehicle and were able to lift it off of Wesley but he was pronounced dead on the scene by the Marion County Coroner. The driver of the side-by-side and the other passenger reportedly sustained minor injuries and were later taken to the hospital by their parents. Air Evac was initially dispatched to the scene but was called off when United Medical Response personnel who were on the scene determined Wesley had sustained fatal injuries.

According to the sheriff’s department, there was no indication of excessive speed and the vehicle flipping over appeared to be just a tragic, freak accident.

You can view the full obituary for Wesley here: https://www.crousefh.com/obituary/wesley-hunter