16 And Pregnant Father Dead At 20
Friends, family, and the reality TV show world are mourning the loss of 20-year-old Sean Garinger, a father featured on the 2020-2021 season of MTV’s 16 and Pregnant. Garinger died on February 28 in a tragic ATV accident at his home in Boone, North Carolina.
Deadline reports the 16 and Pregnant personality was driving an ATV on his family’s property when the vehicle went off an embankment and flipped over. According to the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office, Garinger was thrown from the vehicle, and it landed on top of him.
Garinger’s mother told reporters that her son was moving the ATV from one parking spot to another when muddy ground underneath the vehicle gave way. She ran to the neighbor’s home for help, but no one answered. She then stayed with her son until the ambulance showed up.
…the 16 and Pregnant personality was driving an ATV on his family’s property when the vehicle went off an embankment and flipped over
His obituary reveals the 16 and Pregnant star was part of a military family, so he moved a lot, touching lives all over the country. “He never knew a stranger, regardless of age, and was always willing to lend a helping hand.”
Garinger leaves behind two daughters, 3-year-old Dareli and 19-month-old Esmi. Their mom is Garinger’s now ex Selena Gutierrez. They were featured in the sixth season of 16 and Pregnant. Gutierrez admits to The Daily Mail that she wasn’t on the best of terms with her ex but that he was her first love, and they had been together for more than nine years, saying, “We had two beautiful daughters that I’ll always be grateful for.” Gutierrez also shared that Garinger was doing better, went to rehab, and was more than 200 days sober. Gutierrez says their girls loved their father.
In addition to driving ATVs, Garinger’s obituary says the 16 and Pregnant star enjoyed riding dirt bikes, sky diving, flying his drone, surfing, and shark diving.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, from 2016 through 2018, there were 2,211 deaths in the United States associated with off-highway vehicles (OHVs), which include all-terrain vehicles, recreational off-highway vehicles, and utility-terrain vehicles. ATVs accounted for nearly three-quarters of the deaths. In addition to driving ATVs, Garinger’s obituary says the 16 and Pregnant star enjoyed riding dirt bikes, sky diving, flying his drone, surfing, and shark diving. Along with his mom and daughters, Garinger is survived by his six sisters: Shania, Lydia, Isabella, Ember, Kayden, and Casslyn.
Garinger appeared on 16 and Pregnant in 2021 with his then-girlfriend, Gutierrez.
16 and Pregnant came first before Teen Mom, following pregnant teen girls in high school dealing with the hardships of being pregnant. Each episode featured a different teenage girl, usually starting when she was four to eight months into her pregnancy.
Garinger appeared on 16 and Pregnant in 2021 with his then-girlfriend, Gutierrez. While Gutierrez’s family didn’t approve of her relationship with Garinger, the couple went on to have two daughters. They were not together at the time of Garinger’s death.
Despite criticism of glamorizing teen pregnancy, in 2009, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy credited 16 and Pregnant among the reasons for a decrease in teenage pregnancy recorded over that year. Four years into 16 and Pregnant‘s run, teen pregnancy rates were at a record low. 16 and Pregnant has five reality television spin-off series: Teen Mom, Teen Mom 2, Teen Mom 3, Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant, and 16 and Recovering.
