ATV rider airlifted to hospital after Oceano Dunes crash
A man was transported to the hospital via helicopter Sunday after crashing his all-terrain vehicle at the Oceano Dunes, according to California State Parks.
The man, who in his late 20s, was riding a rental ATV at Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area at about 9:50 a.m. Sunday when the crash occurred, State Parks ranger Kevin Pearce told The Tribune via email.
The man was driving about 25 mph “in a relatively flat area of the park” in the Maidenform Flats when he “collided with an area of sand and was ejected from his ATV,” Pearce said.
The ATV rider complained of pain, and emergency responders treated him for potential neck and spinal injuries before he was airlifted to Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, Pearce said.
Drugs and alcohol are not considered a factor in the crash, and the driver was wearing all required safety gear at the time of the incident, according to Pearce.
Pearce did not name the ATV rider or identify where he is from.
