A 70-year-old Fond du Lac County man is dead after the ATV he was driving flipped on a rural road in the Town of Forest Wednesday evening, with a passerby discovering the overturned vehicle and calling 911 after finding him unresponsive on the ground nearby.
Deputies responded at 5:50 p.m. to Walnut Road near Century Lane after a passing driver reported the crash, according to wearegreenbay.com. The ATV was found on its side near the shoulder of the roadway, with the man lying near it on the ground and unresponsive. First responders began lifesaving efforts and called for the ThedaStar medical helicopter, but he died before he could be transported, WBAY reported.
The man was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene. WBAY reported that his identity had not yet been released.
Preliminary Investigation Points to Lost Control While Towing Mower
Investigators believe the ATV was traveling west on Walnut Road while towing a brush mower when the driver lost control and the vehicle flipped on the roadway, per the preliminary findings described by the station's report. The crash shut down Walnut Road between County Road W and 7 Hills Road for about two hours while crews worked the scene, the outlet noted.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is continuing to investigate the crash. No further details on the cause have been released beyond the preliminary account that the ATV lost control and overturned.
A Grim Tally Across the State
The death marks Wisconsin's 39th fatality involving an ATV or UTV so far in 2026, and the third recorded in the state this month, according to whbl.com. Earlier in the year, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources had tracked the toll climbing steadily, reporting 15 ATV/UTV fatalities as of June and, by mid-August, noting that 13 of 29 fatal incidents statewide that year had involved ATVs while 16 involved UTVs, according to the Wisconsin DNR.
The Fond du Lac County crash remains under investigation. No additional details about the driver, the cause of the rollover, or any possible citations have been released.
