Park Rangers Follow Tracks To Catch Suspected Beach Vandals

Written by WITN-TV

Friday, July 02, 2010

Park rangers say a Maryland man literally forgot to cover his tracks on the Outer Banks. Now he and another man have been charged with making "donuts" on protected areas of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Daniel Hunt from Maryland and Brian Tillett of Rodanthe were charged with multiple violations.

Rangers say they found two separate sets of ATV fire tracks which entered a sea turtle protection area and performed multiple swerves, donuts and jumping maneuvers.

It happened around 2:00 a.m. Thursday on the beach near Sea Oats Drive area, north of the Rodanthe Pier.

One set of tracks led back to a cottage occupied by Hunt who they say confessed and named the other driver.

Hunt was charged with unsafe operation, operating an ORV in a seasonal ORV closure, entering a resource protection area in the national seashore, giving false information, disturbing wildlife and being intoxicated in the park. His ATV was seized as evidence in the crime.

Tillett was charged with unsafe operation and operating an ORV in a seasonal ORV closure and driving on a suspended license.

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Source: http://www.witn.com/crime/headlines/97664894.html

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