(WKYT) – It was Christmas Eve when William ‘Wee Wee’ Adkins was rushed to the ICU.
“My father had a very, very tragic four-wheeler accident,” Brooklynn Adkins, his daughter said.
His family tells us he wasn’t wearing a helmet.
We interviewed his wife Rebecca and their daughter Brooklynn shortly after it happened.
“I’m just hoping and praying that…any minute [the doctors} come in [the hospital room] with some good news and say something different is gonna happen,” Rebecca said in December 2025.
The Adkins family got that good news, he stayed alive for several months, but he couldn’t walk or talk.
“He started physical therapy from home and going to his appointments. He ended up getting pneumonia and it made it worse on him and he ended up passing away,” Brooklynn said.
Losing her dad on May 8, 2026 was devastating for Brooklynn and her family.
“My dad was amazing. He was honestly my inspiration in everything. He would honestly give his shirt off of his back to anyone who needed it. He was really the best person I knew,” Brooklynn said.
Brooklynn is turning her pain into purpose.
Kentucky law says riders under the age of 16 must always wear a helmet. For people over the age of 16, it’s only required on public property with exceptions for farming, mining, logging, other work and private property.
Through a petition, she’s calling on lawmakers to change that.
“It inspired me to start the petition to wear a helmet whether it’s private or public property because of the fact that it could save so many lives. If he would’ve been wearing a helmet, I strongly feel like it wouldn’t have been as bad as it was with him,” Brooklynn said.
She hopes the law would be called “William’s Law” named after her dad. After what happened to her family, Brooklynn has a message to other ATV riders.
“It’s really important to not only them but their families to wear a helmet,” she said.