A late-night ride on a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle in Garland ended in tragedy when the ATV rolled in a grassy area behind a business near the 3600 block of Marquis Drive, leaving one man dead and another seriously injured, according to police. The crash happened at about 10:30 p.m. Emergency crews pronounced the driver dead at the scene, and the second occupant was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. The Garland Police Department later identified the driver as 46-year-old Paul Terry and said detectives were continuing to investigate.
What the police say
According to a Facebook post from the Garland Police Department, officers arrived to find two adult men at the crash site. The post states that the driver, identified as 46-year-old Paul Terry, was pronounced deceased at the scene and that a 41-year-old man was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.
Investigators say the ATV rolled over while making a turn in a grassy lot behind a business near the 3600 block of Marquis Drive. Police have not released further details about what caused the rollover or what the men were doing immediately before the crash.
ATV safety and trends
Rollover crashes are a leading cause of death in off-highway vehicle incidents and are often associated with severe, sometimes catastrophic, injuries. The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s annual report on off-highway vehicles cites thousands of deaths and injuries connected to ATVs and similar vehicles in recent years and notes that rollovers are a recurring pattern in many fatal cases, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The agency urges riders to use helmets and other protective gear, stay within manufacturer guidelines, and treat off-highway vehicles with the same seriousness they would any other motor vehicle.
Investigative and legal context
Because this crash occurred in a grassy area behind a business, investigators are expected to look closely at the ATV’s condition, physical evidence at the scene, and any witness accounts to sort out factors such as speed, terrain, and possible operator error.
Texas law generally limits where off-highway vehicles can be operated on public roads, while rules differ when the vehicles are used on private property. Even so, serious injury or death can trigger civil or criminal inquiries. The rules governing registration and operation are laid out in the Texas Transportation Code.
Authorities have not released additional information about what led to the rollover, and the Garland Police Department says the investigation remains active, according to its Facebook post. Officials have also not provided further updates on the condition of the hospitalized man.
