Polk County ATV crash kills 1: PCSO
LAKE WALES, Fla. - A 19-year-old Bartow man died early Sunday morning after losing control of his all-terrain vehicle at a hunt club near Lake Wales, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The fatal single-vehicle rollover occurred around 2:34 a.m. deep within the property of the River Ranch Hunt Club, located at 18550 County Road 630.
Fatal River Ranch property rollover
What we know:
Emergency personnel from the Polk County Sheriff's Office and Polk County Fire Rescue responded to the off-road property early Sunday morning.
Because the crash site was located several miles off the main road, the sheriff's agricultural unit had to transport first responders directly to the scene.
Investigators said the man was riding ATVs with a group of friends when he became separated from the pack. His friends rode back to search for him and discovered him trapped beneath his overturned vehicle.
The friends reported that the man was initially semi-conscious before he stopped responding. Although his friends performed CPR, the man died at the scene.
Evidence gathered by deputies indicates the man tried to make a sharp turn, causing the ATV wheels to dig into soft dirt and flip the vehicle over.
The sheriff's office noted the man was not wearing a helmet or any other safety equipment at the time of the rollover.
Polk County ongoing investigation
Authorities have not yet released the identity of the 19-year-old victim.
The crash is under investigation by the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a series of official reports from the Polk County Sheriff's Office, which detailed the timeline of the emergency response and the initial findings of deputies, as well as statements from members of Polk County Fire Rescue.