’16 And Pregnant’ Dad Sean Garinger Dies At 20 In Freak ATV Accident

Sean Garinger, a young father featured in the 2020-21 season of MTV’s 16 and Pregnant, died February 28 in a freak ATV accident at his home in Boone, North Carolina. He was 20.

Garinger, who was the father of two with his then-girlfriend Selena Gutierrez, was driving an ATV on his family’s property on North Woods Drive in Boone when the vehicle went off an embankment and flipped over.

According to the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office, Garinger was thrown from the ATV before the vehicle landed on top of him. In an interview with The U.S. Sun, Garinger’s mother, Mary Hobbs, said her son was moving the ATV from one parking spot on the property to another when the rain-soaking muddy ground beneath the vehicle gave way.

“I ran to neighbors trying to get someone to help me get the ATV off of him,” Hobbs told The Sun. “No one answered. I ran back to him. By that time, I realized he wasn’t alive anymore. I just laid next to him until the ambulance showed up.”

Garinger and Gutierrez, the parents of daughters Dareli and Esmi, were featured in Season 6 of the MTV docu-series.

In an obituary, Sean Tai Garinger, born June 11, 2003, and known by the nickname Squishy, was described by family as “a military brat who touched lives all around the country. He never knew a stranger, regardless of age, and was always willing to lend a helping hand. His kind and generous nature endeared him to all who knew him.”

“Sean had a passion for living life to the fullest,” the obituary reads. “He enjoyed driving RC cars, sky diving, shark diving, dirt bikes, flying his drone, driving ATVs, surfing, and spending time in the ocean. His adventurous spirit and love for excitement were evident in all aspects of his life.”

In addition to his daughters and mother, Garinger is survived by sisters Shania, Lydia, Isabella, Ember, Kayden, and Casslyn.