Dona Ana 15-year-old was not wearing helmet.

Sabrina Aguilar, a 15-year-old freshman at Onate High School, was pronounced dead Wednesday at Thomason Hospital in El Paso following a Sunday crash north of Las Cruces, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported today on its Web site.

Aguilar had been riding alone on a three-wheel ATV when she lost control and the vehicle flipped on a dirt road, sheriff's deputies told the Sun-News.

She suffered massive head injuries and was declared brain dead earlier this week but was on life support so her heart, kidneys and lungs could be donated, the Sun-News reported.

Deputies told the paper Aguilar was not wearing a helmet or any other safety gear at the time of the accident.

"The reason she wasn't wearing a helmet is because it would mess up her hair," her father, Geraldo Aguilar told the Sun-News. "Wear helmets, please ... This is an unfortunate thing that should not have happened."

New Mexico state law requires riders under the age of 18 to have an off-road vehicle safety permit after taking an approved safety course and to wear a helmet and goggles, the paper reported.

The law also requires riders under the age of 18 to be supervised by an adult unless they are 13 with a motorcycle license or at least 15 with a driver's license, learner's permit or provisional driver's license, the Sun-News said.

But the law, which went into effect Jan. 1, only applies to riders on public lands, the paper reported.
Aguilar is survived by her parents, four brothers and two sisters.

A memorial service was held at Onate High School Wednesday afternoon and was attended by around 200 people, the Sun-News reported.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine and Parish in Tortugas, with burial to follow in San Jose Cemetery in La Mesa.

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