COVENTRY — A 21-year-old Coventry woman was buried Monday after succumbing to injuries she suffered in an all-terrain vehicle accident on June 23.

Ashley Renea Phelps died July 2 at Rhode Island Hospital, according to Coventry Police Capt. Bryan Volpe. Phelps was being treated for serious head injuries she suffered as a passenger on an ATV being driven by Gregory Herbert, 22, also of Coventry.

Neither was wearing a helmet.

The police said the two were at a party that night on Sharon Drive when Herbert, with Phelps riding on the back, lost control of the ATV and crashed into some mailboxes, causing the vehicle to roll over. Volpe said Herbert got back on the ATV and sped off. When the police arrived at 10:30 p.m., they found Phelps lying in the street. Paramedics initially took her to Kent Hospital, and from there she was taken to Rhode Island Hospital.

The day after the accident, Herbert went to the Coventry police accompanied by a lawyer. He was arrested on a felony charge for leaving the scene of an accident. He was arraigned and released, pending a court date at Kent County Courthouse. The matter is under investigation by the Coventry police and will be reviewed by the attorney general’s office, Volpe said.

The police would not say if alcohol was a factor in the accident. Herbert could not be reached for comment.

Kimberly Phelps, Ashley Phelps’ mother, was with her daughter when she died. She said Ashley had seemed like she was doing better, had been talking at bit, sitting up and even brushing her teeth.

“I don’t know what happened. She said, ‘I’m trying, Mom. I’m trying,’ ” Kimberly Phelps said in a quivering voice yesterday. “ ‘You’re coming home with me,’ I told her, and she was excited.”

Her father, Thomas A. Phelps, a Providence police officer, said, “She was a good kid, and her life was coming in order.”

Before the accident, Phelps was living with friends in Coventry. She worked at a local Sprint store in Cranston. A 2003 graduate of Coventry High School, she was pursuing a degree in social work and had attended Rhode Island College. Later, she attended Community College of Rhode Island. She had previously worked at West Bay Residential Services, in Warwick, as an aide.

Family members describe Ashley as young woman who was always outgoing. They say one of Ashley’s passions was playing softball. She was a pitcher and an all-star throughout her school years playing in the Coventry Girls Softball league. She had recently organized a coed adult softball team to play in local leagues.

Her sister, Megan M. Phelps, said Ashley was helping her organize her wedding and the bachelorette and bridal shower and was among 10 bridesmaids in the affair. “She had a lot of friends and was living life to the fullest,” she said. “She’d rather be with her friends and family than working.”

“She worked with a lot of handicapped, autistic kids and people with cerebral palsy,” said her mother. “She was very well liked and had a happy attitude.”

Dozens attended Phelps’ funeral on Monday in East Greenwich. Her father had asked the minister to talk to the young people in particular about the importance of making proper choices and not being afraid to speak up when they see someone doing something wrong.

Phelps said the party the night his daughter was injured was a graduation celebration. He said the people hosting the party had barred ATVs from the event. “And this kid unloaded his off the truck after everyone told him not to,” Phelps said. “My biggest point — they went over it yesterday — is to learn from it. It was a sequence of events that could have been stopped at any split second. The choice you make can either make you or break you. Don’t be afraid to stop them.”

lsparks@projo.com