Region 8 police warn of increase ATV, motorcycle traffic

Josh Harvison

Officials with the Poinsett County Sheriff's Office Wednesday said more teenagers and younger adults are taking to city streets on all terrain vehicles, a violation of state and local law. According to Poinsett County Sheriff Larry Mills, they've witnessed an increase in the number of ATV riders this summer. He said with the additional of several ATV riders comes the possibility of more accidents.

"You've got kids out of school and when they're out of school, we were the same way, you know they're going to find something to do with their time," said Mills. "If they have access to an ATV, then they're probably going to be on it."

Mills said the sheriff's office has received phone calls from certain neighborhoods complaining about speeding ATV's. He said he believes ATV's are dangerous.

"Any type of vehicle that's mechanical has a certain amount of danger to it," said Mills. "I think if they're riding correctly and the rider is properly trained before they get on them and I think if they wear protective equipment such as helmets, then I think they're much more safe."

"If you've got an ATV that's on the road and there's excessive speeding involved in there, sliding around on the rocks and that sort of thing and they may think around that next curve there's no vehicles and they get around the curve and there's a vehicle and next thing you know you have an ATV vehicle head on," said Mills.

That's exactly what happened to 18-year old Jackie Rolland. Rolland collided with a truck about a year ago, damaging the wench, radiator and brush guard of the truck and crushing the four-wheeler. Rolland sustained minor bumps and bruises.

"I was just out. I just wanted to ride like normal. I always want to ride in the summer," said Rolland. "Down on possum hollow, took a left on a gravel road, went around the first left hand turn just cruising and a truck come around on a right hand turn and hit it right head on. Didn't even see it come around that turn. I just hit it."

Rolland said he lost consciousness momentarily when he hit the hood of the truck.

"I had a bruise across my leg that turned, whole, black and blue. Messed up pretty good," said Rolland. "I had my own four-wheeler since I was like eight. I rode all the time and this is the first accident I've ever been in."

"I just don't drive them near as crazy as I used to, cause used to I just thought I was invincible, you know, but now it's reality," said Rolland.

"They don't understand responsibility, much less do they own it, and then you put them on something dangerous like an ATV and turn them loose," said Mills. "We've got to educate them. I think we've got to make sure that they're properly trained, and then I think we've got to make sure that they're capable."

Mills said parents should, depending on their child's age, consider keeping an eye out when riding ATV's.

"If they know they can't ride on this particular piece of property or if they don't have property of their own to ride on then they may look elsewhere and then that itself presents dangers," said Mills. "There's unknown hazards, it's new territory. There may be a creek or there may be a cable that's stretched up with a padlock on it that that child doesn't see and next thing you know they're up on it on a four wheeler."

"Just to get on a public roadway and just to ride for enjoyment on a four wheeler, that's against the law. here again, when you get on some gravel roads, that don't have a great deal of traffic and that sort of thing, occasionally you're going to see four wheelers on gravel roads," said Mills.

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Source: http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12661567

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