A late-night trail ride ended in death during the early hours of August 8. Sheriff’s deputies received a call at 5:09 a.m. about a rollover crash north of Kingsley Street and Dike Road in Mohave Valley. When officers arrived at the desert location, they found a flipped all-terrain vehicle and three people at the scene.
Investigators with the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Crash Team took charge of the site to figure out what caused the wreck. Based on statements gathered at the scene, the group had been drinking alcohol earlier in the evening. Before daybreak, they decided to take the ATV out for a ride across the open dirt.
A male passenger told officers that Richard Anthony Cruz was driving when the crash happened. Richard hit the gas and accelerated down the path. As the vehicle picked up speed, he lost control on the uneven ground. The ATV flipped over, throwing two men out of their seats.
The vehicle landed directly on top of Richard. When deputies located him under the wreckage, he had already died from his injuries. The male passenger who was thrown from the vehicle suffered injuries and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. A female passenger at the scene was not killed.
Deputies identified three main factors in the crash: alcohol, high speed in the dark, and no seat belts or restraints. Off-road vehicles can flip quickly, and without seat belts, riders are often thrown clear or crushed underneath.
Driving an ATV after drinking cuts down reaction time fast. At higher speeds on rough dirt trails, a small turn or sudden bump can flip a machine weighing hundreds of pounds. Once the vehicle flips, passengers have almost no protection.
The Sheriff’s Office Crash Team is still looking into the details of the accident. While the official investigation remains open, the main facts are clear. One man died, another went to the hospital, and a late-night ride ended in tragedy.
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