An Afton man has been charged after his 10-year-old daughter gave her best friend a ride on an ATV that led to a crash that killed both girls last year.

The Washington County Attorney’s Office charged Lance Alan Koeckeritz, 54, with two counts each of second-degree manslaughter and child endangerment in connection with the deaths of his daughter, Savanna Koeckeritz, and Alexis “Lexi” Gibson, also 10, of Mahtomedi, at his Afton property April 22, 2023.

Left: Alexis “Lexi” Gibson, 10, of Mahtomedi. Right: Savanna Koeckeritz, 10, of Afton. The girls died on Saturday, April 22, 2023, in an ATV accident in Afton. (Courtesy of the New Heights School)

When the girls didn’t return in time to leave for a movie, a relative went out looking for them, Friday’s criminal complaint says. They were found trapped under the ATV unconscious and not breathing, and later pronounced dead at the scene.

Koeckeritz told deputies who were called to the scene that the children were allowed to operate the ATV whenever they wanted, and it is not necessary for them to check in with him or ask permission, the complaint says.

He added, “the girls would take the ATV for brief periods at a time” and that they would return to a camper located on the property or the residence.

The ATV is a 2013 CFMoto, with an 800cc engine and saddle-style seat. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the recommended engine size for children ages 10 and up is up to 110cc.

In Minnesota, anyone can drive an ATV on private property with permission from the owner. But to legally drive one on public property, young people ages 12 to 15 must be supervised by an adult and have a valid ATV safety certificate.

Koeckeritz was charged by summons and has a first appearance on the charges scheduled for Aug. 19. An attorney is not listed in his court case file.

County Attorney Kevin Magnuson declined to comment Tuesday on the charging decision.

According to the complaint and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office:

Deputies and first-responders arrived at the Koeckeritz property in the 1000 block of Neal Avenue around 5 p.m. and found the girls lying on their backs with CPR being performed on them.

Detectives saw that neither girl was wearing helmets or other protective gear, the complaint says.

Detectives were told that Alexis and Savanna went to the home after school the day before for a sleepover. The property is just under 8½ acres with hilly terrain and worn dirt paths throughout, the complaint notes.

Savanna’s mother was at work at the time of the crash, while her father was at home.

Koeckeritz told detectives that he never left the home, that he was in his office trailer from approximately 1 to 5 p.m. He showed detectives the trailer office he was working in and said he did not hear any disturbances while he worked.

“Detectives observed the work trailer to be nearly soundproof where they could barely hear yelling directly outside the trailer door,” the complaint says.

Savanna’s mother planned to bring the girls to a movie at 5:15 p.m. She had communicated her plans to Koeckeritz earlier in the day, and around 4 p.m. asked another child at the home to get the girls ready for the movie.

The mother arrived at the home around 4:15 p.m. and was unable to locate the girls despite searching for them for over 15 minutes. At approximately 5 p.m. a second child at the home found the girls pinned under the ATV and unconscious.

Koeckeritz remained in the work trailer until he was told of the emergency after the girls were found, the complaint says.

Autopsies showed the girls died of asphyxia.

According to the manufacturer’s specs, the ATV weighs about 1,000 pounds with a full tank of gas.

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