PALATKA, Fla. — Neighbors living near a popular ATV resort in Putnam County are voicing their concerns following the death of a child over the weekend. A 7-year-old boy was killed while riding on the back of an ATV at Hog Waller Campground & ATV Resort.
First Coast News spoke with people who live near the resort. They did not want to go on camera for fear of getting harassed for speaking out against Hog Waller.
One woman has lived in the area for more than 25 years and said the last decade has been difficult.
“We knew it would disturb our peace and quiet, and we knew this road was not sufficient for the amount of traffic it would bring to our area," the neighbor explained.
She said traffic backs up along the road in front of her house with people waiting to get into Hog Waller, and the dust from the vehicles makes it difficult to breathe sometimes.
"We had another neighbor complain to us because he’s having problems with the dust and his breathing," the neighbor said.
Other people living near the resort complained about the exhaust fumes from the vehicles at Hog Waller. They are also concerned about safety and people not following the rules while they are on the property.
According to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, off-duty deputies are employed by Hog Waller; however, their main focus is to stop criminal activity. Since it is private property, they are not enforcing traffic laws, like ensuring adults and children are wearing safety gear.
Hog Waller addressed the death on Facebook Tuesday afternoon. They expressed their condolences to the family of the boy who was killed over the weekend.
Neighbors hope something will be done to prevent more deaths.
“It wasn’t the first and it’s very sad. And we always say how many lives is it going to take for them to do something about that down there," a neighbor said.