Some Bay area residents are questioning the safety of a popular off road park in Charlotte County.

The Redneck Yacht Club is an 800 acre park in Punta Gorda where people use their jeeps, ATVs, and more to go mudding.

Last weekend, Nicholas Kirk, 20, from Palm Harbor, was killed in an ATV accident there.

Witnesses said a group in a swamp buggy was towing another swamp buggy when Kirk drove right into the rope.

Investigators said he hit his neck and died on the scene.

On the same day, Jared O’Keefe, 17, from Manatee County, was critically injured in a separate accident.

O’Keefe’s family said the Lakewood Ranch High School Junior and football player is now in the hospital, fighting for his life.

“My brother is critically injured, my brother almost died,” said Alexa O’Keefe, Jared’s sister.

O’Keefe’s family said while Jared was near a stage, someone drove an ATV into a crowd of people and ran them over.

Several people were injured including O’Keefe.

“His memory is that this person was a 50-year-old man or so,” said Jared’s Aunt, Kim Gennocro. “He accelerated towards Jared and hit him. Then, he dragged him and ended up pinning him against a pick-up truck and crushing his chest.”

O’Keefe suffered a severed lung, multiple rib fractures, internal bleeding and a stroke.

The stroke caused him to go blind in one eye.

It is unknown who is responsible or why this happened. At this time the family does not know if this was just an accident or intentional.

They said they don’t know if drugs or alcohol played a role.

The Florida Highway Patrol is still working the investigation and should finish it by next week.

Jared’s family said while they want to know what happened, their main concern is making sure he gets better.

“You know the fact that he is awake and miraculously five days after this horrific accident, he’s smiling and talking and breathing, as a parent and family member, that’s all we want is for him to be OK,” said Gennocro.

However, Jared’s family is questioning the park’s safety.

“I’m all for having fun and anybody having a good time, however, when there are people dying and getting critically injured at your event, you have to look at what is being done wrong here,” said Gennocro.

Already since the beginning of this year, emergency crews have responded to the park several times.

Redneck Yacht Club management, county officials and the sheriff’s office plan to meet soon to address the most recent accidents.

To help the O'Keefe family, visit their gofundme page.

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