Boy Hurt at Neverland Ranch

Teenaged boy airlifted from Michael Jackson's ranch when the ATV he's driving flips over

By Lia Haberman Jul 30, 2004 3:30 PMTags

Trouble seems to follow Michael Jackson almost as closely as a snap-happy shutterbug.

A 15-year-old boy was injured in an ATV accident at Jackson's Neverland Ranch Thursday afternoon.

The teen was riding an all-terrain vehicle around Jackson's ranch when it flipped over because of a flat tire.

The teen, described as a private guest by Jackson attorney Brian Oxman, "is just fine, no broken bones, no internal injuries, he's doing just fine," the lawyer told the Associated Press.

A security guard directed paramedics to the boy, who was purportedly at or near the compound's main house. He was airlifted out of the ranch and later taken by ambulance to the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, about 35 miles northwest of Santa Barbara, where he is listed in good condition.

"He's doing fine and that's the important thing. We're all glad that's the case," Oxman said.

No other information on the boy was released.

Jackson is accused of child molestation and conspiracy to kidnapping. He has pleaded not guilty and remains free on $3 million bail.

He was not home when the accident took place.

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The Gloved One was last spotted in public on Tuesday, shopping for toys at a Texas mall.

According to eyewitnesses, Jackson sampled a pretzel, signed autographs and bought toys and stuffed animals at a mall in Houston. His reps say he was in town on business to meet with a lawyer about a music contract issue.

Earlier the same day, prosecutors outlined their case against the pop star in a Santa Barbara courtroom, saying Jackson seduced his young accuser and then kept the boy and his family captive until they publicly said Jackson didn't do anything wrong.

Deputy District Attorney Gordon Auchincloss stated that Jackson turned Neverland Ranch "into an enormous resort and amusement park literally designed to entice and attack children."

Jackson's defense team described the prosecution's case as "ridiculous" and demanded dismissal of all charges.

Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville said he would take the matters into consideration and in the meantime pushed the trial's start date back to Jan. 31, 2005, to give the defense time to prepare.

Jackson, who didn't need to attend the hearing, seems to have been racking up the air miles recently. The self-proclaimed King of Pop was also spotted in Miami recently where he was purportedly squiring a local actress who'll serve as a surrogate birth mom to quadruplets.

His reps have denied the baby story and refused "to further comment on stories of this nature."

In related news, the mother of Jackson's accuser gave birth to her fourth child this week. According to Jackson's criminal lawyer, Thomas Mesereau Jr., the woman had been remarried, possibly to a retired military officer.

The woman, a key witness in the case, has been involved in a bitter custody dispute with her ex-husband over their three children, including Jackson's accuser, who is now 13.

Having just given birth, it's unknown if the judge will compel the new mom to attend the next court hearing in the case Aug. 16.