Sledding can instantly turn horrifying

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Sledding and tubing are winter sports that can be fun, but dangerous as well.

Sledding is a great way to spend time with family and friends.

But in one instant, this thrilling fun can turn horrifying .

On Valentine's Day, a mother from Pennsylvania was killed at Allegany State Park.

She crashed into a tree while tubing with her three-year-old son.

Ron and Holly Miller's 12-year-old son Ian also recently died in a sledding accident.

"He got turned around so he was going down backwards and couldn't see and he hit a ski pole," said Holly Miller.

Ian was on a plastic saucer with his Boy Scout troop, in Pennsylvania.

They want to use their painful experience to educate other families about sledding safely.

Ron Miller said, "They should be wearing helmets while they're sledding and be more aware of their surroundings."

Jim Hornung is the Commissioner of the Erie County Parks and Recreation Department.

"Right size, right sled, right material for the sled. there are some plastic sleds that have some directional to it and you can help your cause down the hill," said Hornung.

He says there are ways to control a sled speeding out of control. "By putting their hands out or their feet out knowing they can control themselves," Hornung explained.

Icy bumpy hills surrounded by trees and hidden ditches can create dangerous conditions you can't control.

Hornung said, "You gotta pick the right hill for the right child for the right age group."

Emergency responders told the Millers they found a Bible verse written on a piece of paper in Ian's snow boot.

Holly Miller said, "And it dealt with essentially perseverance and that it's a great joy when you're faced with trials, because it teaches you perseverance."

A Bible verse they now live by as they remember their only child.