9-year-old girl thrown from ATV suffers serious injuries in Freeport

FREEPORT, Minn. (FOX 9) - A 9-year-old girl was seriously injured when she was thrown from an ATV driven by an 11-year-old girl that crashed in central Minnesota Saturday morning. 

The Stearns County Sheriff's Office said an 11-year-old Melrose girl was driving a 2007 Polaris Ranger ATV on the driveway of a home near Freeport when she tried to manuever a curve and lost control of the vehicle. The ATV rolled and landed on the driver's side. 

The passenger, 9-year-old Eve Shaw of Freeport, was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from ATV. She suffered life-threatening injuries and was later airlifted to a hospital in the Twin Cities. 

The driver was wearing a seatbelt when the crash occurred. She suffered minor injuries. 

The sheriff's office said speed is believed to be a factor in the crash. 

The crash remains under investigation.