A Christmas Eve ATV ride in Dallas’ Pleasant Grove neighborhood ended in tragedy Wednesday evening when a 22-year-old man was thrown from the vehicle and killed while it was being towed, police said.
According to The Dallas Morning News, the crash happened around 6:24 p.m. at North Seagoville Road and North Prairie Creek Road in east Dallas. Another man was towing the ATV with a rope while the victim rode on it, the outlet reported. Police said the tow rope became tangled in the tire of the vehicle pulling the ATV, causing the ATV to roll and eject the rider. Officers and Dallas Fire-Rescue crews pronounced the man dead at the scene.
Why towing an ATV can be deadly
Polaris owner guidance warns that towing ATVs is not recommended, noting that improper towing can change how the machine handles and trigger rollovers. The company advises that disabled vehicles be loaded onto trailers or flatbeds instead of being pulled along behind another vehicle.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that off-highway vehicles, including ATVs, are involved in hundreds of deaths and roughly 100,000 emergency-department-treated injuries each year. The agency urges riders to avoid paved roads and to wear helmets and other protective gear.
Pleasant Grove’s recent crash history
The Pleasant Grove area has already seen serious collisions this month. On Dec. 10, a two-vehicle crash at Hillburn Drive and Lake June Road left one person dead, The Dallas Morning News reported. The recent run of wrecks has stirred fresh worries among residents and traffic-safety advocates about conditions along some east Dallas corridors.
