HATTON -
Area communities have raised money for medical bills and funeral expenses for the families of two boys involved in a fatal snowmobile accident Sunday near Hatton.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol identified the boys as Mason Moen, 10, of Thompson, N.D., and Brody Johnson, 9, of Hatton, according to the patrol.
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Moen died at the scene of the accident, while Johnson was flown to a hospital in Fargo.
GoFundMe sites to collect donations have been set up for each of the boys.
Johnson's account was set up to cover medical expenses, and as of Monday evening, $5,700 had been raised.
According to a CaringBridge site, Johnson suffered a brain injury and fractured pelvis. He is being treated at Sanford Children's Hospital in Fargo.
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The GoFundMe page created for Moen seeks to help with funeral expenses. As of Monday evening, $16,316 had been raised.
Counselors were available for students at Thompson schools Monday, where Moen and Johnson attend, Thompson Public Schools Superintendent John Maus said.
"We have not only our counselor, but three other counselors from neighboring schools here available for our students and some clergy and members from" the Community Violence Intervention Center on call during the difficult time, Maus said.
According to the Highway Patrol news release, the boys were riding a 1998 Polaris snowmobile Sunday about 4 miles northwest of Hatton near a farm where they were staying.
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The boys were riding east in a farm field about a third of a mile from the intersection of Second Avenue Northeast and 30th Avenue Northwest around 4:15 p.m. when the driver lost control, jumped over a roadway, crashed and then rolled in a field across the road.
Highway Patrol has not determined who was driving the snowmobile. It was not clear whether the boys were wearing helmets, the Patrol said Sunday.
On the Web: Moen's GoFundMe site can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/22m8583c .
Johnson's GoFundMe site can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/pszkm6z8 .
