POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A 19-year-old Bartow man lost his life early Sunday morning after his all-terrain vehicle flipped over on a remote trail at the River Ranch Hunt Club.
The incident occurred on May 31, 2026, deep within the property located at 18550 County Road 630 near Lake Wales. Emergency dispatchers received a call at approximately 2:34 a.m., prompting a response from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Polk County Fire Rescue. Because the crash site was located several miles off the main road, first responders had to be driven to the scene by the sheriff’s office Agriculture Unit.
According to sheriff’s deputies, the teenager had been riding off-road vehicles with a group of friends. The group realized he was missing after he fell behind, prompting them to turn around and search the trails.
The friends discovered the 19-year-old trapped underneath his overturned ATV. Witnesses stated he was initially semi-conscious but quickly became unresponsive. Although his friends performed CPR, the victim died at the scene from the severity of his injuries.
Investigators evaluating the scene and witness statements reported that the victim appeared to have attempted a sharp turn. The ATV’s tires dug into the soft dirt during the maneuver, causing the vehicle to roll over.
Deputies noted that the victim was not wearing a helmet or any other safety gear at the time of the rollover. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office stated that the crash remains under investigation.
READ: Frostproof Man Flips Corolla In Fatal Pre-Dawn Crash On US-27 In Polk County
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