Everett "Lee" Martin was 20 years old when he was taken from us. He was a very down to earth kind of guy making friends where ever he went. He enjoyed the simple things in life . Hunting and fishing and going four wheeler riding down in the river bottoms. He just bought his new Honda Fourtrax a week and two days before his life was ended. The accident happened on May 23, 1999.

We had started out that Sunday riding at a popular riding spot called to us as the Crawley Camp, where there is mud up to your neck. Lee was so excited because he had the baddest and biggest four wheeler there and he just knew he would be the only one not to get stuck . Lee was right he did not get stuck the whole day. We were about to end the ride about 6:00 p.m. but Lee had an idea to keep riding and end up at this huge mudhole down at the "Ford" another riding spot that is well known . Lee just knew he would not get stuck in this one either, but we never did make it there with Lee, and neither did he.

We all decided we would try to go down this huge, steep enbankment and Lee, being the person he was, had to try it too because he thought it was a peice of cake with his new wheeler and all. So two couples come up and then it was Lee's turn. There was a passenger with Lee when it happened...his best friend Troy.

Troy said as they started up the hill Lee stopped giving it gas right at the top (I guess he thought he was already on flat land) but when he figured it was rolling back he gased it and it flipped and landed on top of him.

Luckily Troy had enough time to jump to safety, and was not injured at all. But Lee was not so lucky, he was hurt . After it had happened Lee was talking to us telling us he was fine and was not hurt at all, bt we knew that was not possible that was just Lee being Lee not wanting us to worry about him . So we sent someone for a ambulance and the rest of us sat there with Lee waiting for him to regain conciousness and talk to us, but he never did. The last thing he said to so was: "I am not hurt". The ambulance was too late they said and time was a factor also I only wonder if we would have had a cellular phone with us would Lee still be here. I had one but we left it in the vehicle, and three more people had one but they were also back at Ryan's house.

So I hope people will look at this accident and realize that accidents can happen on four wheelers. I never had heard of one happening until I saw it with my own eyes. If you see your friend is drinking and driving please be the one that stops them because it could be too late. We tried to stop Lee all day but he would not let one of us drive. Take the keys or just do anything but just don't let them drink and drive.