'Doing something they loved:' Family remembers 9-year-old killed in Utah County ATV crash

PAYSON — The family of a 9-year-old boy who police said died in an all-terrain vehicle accident on Sunday on West Mountain in Utah County has shared his identity.His aunt, Lacie Rawlinson, identified the boy as Kolton Rawlinson.Kolton — who was known to everyone who loved him as Kolt — was an adventurous kid who loved being outdoors, whether it involved sports, camping or fishing."Kolton could make anything more fun just by showing up, always laughing and up to his next big prank on his family and friends," the Rawlinson family told KSL in a statement. "He had the best energy and the biggest heart, and anyone who knew him felt it."Kolton was riding an ATV with his father on Sunday morning when it crashed and rolled, the family said.Kolton and his dad were on "an average hill" that people in the community go for off-road recreation. Both the Utah County Sheriff's Office and the family said Kolton was wearing protective gear."This was a father and son doing something they absolutely loved together, which somehow turned into a horrible, unforeseeable accident," the Rawlinson family said.Initially, the Utah County Sheriff's Office said Kolton was on the ATV with his stepfather, but the boy's family clarified that he was with his dad on the mountain. Kolton Rawlinson and his father are shown in this undated photo. Kolton's family is mourning after he was killed in an ATV crash last Sunday. (Photo: The Rawlinson family) The crash left Kolton "mortally injured," according to the Utah County Sheriff's Office. Lifesaving measures were performed on the mountain before Kolton was flown to Primary Children's Hospital in Lehi, where he died."We don't know how to move forward without him," the family statement says. "But the love this community has shown us is getting us through. We are more grateful than words can say."Just a few months shy of what would have been Kolton's 10th birthday, his family is now reeling with the heartbreak and devastation of saying their final goodbyes as memorial services were planned for this weekend.An online fundraiser* was created in Kolton's honor to help his family navigate funeral costs."He was the sweetest, bravest, most hilarious kid — the kind of boy who could make you laugh until you cried and then turn around and melt your heart. He was a joy to be around, and the hole he leaves behind is immeasurable. He will be forever missed," Kolton's family