SEQUIM — A 26-year-old Port Angeles-area man was killed in an all-terrain vehicle wreck Saturday afternoon on a U.S. Forest Service road south of Sequim, law enforcement officials said Sunday.
The man was the driver of a “side by side” ATV. His name was not released by the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday pending notification of family members.
His passenger, a 43-year-old man also from the Port Angeles area, was injured and taken by ambulance to Olympic Medical Center. He also was not identified. Names are essential for receiving condition updates from hospitals, so his condition was not known — or even if he was hospitalized — as of Sunday.
The wreck happened at about 3:40 p.m. on a gravel forest road about two miles from Lost Mountain Road.
The driver and his passenger were among a group of off-roaders. Others in the group saw them go off the road when they were unable to negotiate a left turn while going about 25 to 30 miles per hour, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The ATV rolled down a steep 20- to 30-foot embankment. Both men were ejected from the vehicle; neither was wearing a seat belt or a helmet, said Sgt. John Keegan of the Sheriff’s Office.
Witnesses called 9-1-1. The passenger was injured but conscious while the driver was unconscious and not breathing when first responders arrived. CPR was started by witnesses and continued until they were relieved by first responders.
Lifeflight and the U.S. Coast Guard were contacted for a possible extraction out of the remote area by helicopter. However, Keegan said the helicopters were not necessary and the men were transported out of the area by ambulance. The driver was declared dead en route to Olympic Medical Center, Keegan said.
Keegan said alcohol was present, but there was no evidence that alcohol was a factor in the wreck.
He said sheriff’s deputies were on the scene until midnight.
The sheriff’s office traffic safety unit is investigating.
In addition to the sheriff’s office, Olympic Ambulance and Clallam County Fire District No. 3 also responded.
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Sports Editor Pierre LaBossiere can be reached at plabossiere@peninsuladailynews.com.
