Pickens County Man Dies After SUV Strikes His ATV

One Friday night in October 2024, Kyle Thornall was driving his ATV on Old Vinland School Road in Pickens County.  As he was turning onto Highway 183, a 2006 Toyota Camry struck his ATV and then fled the scene.  Thornall was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.  He was 37 years old.  Police later identified the vehicle that had stricken Thornall’s ATV and arrested the driver, Jose Brito-Ruiz.  Brito-Ruiz, 25, is facing criminal charges for DUI resulting in death and for leaving the scene of an accident with fatalities.  While it is safe to ride ATVs in their intended location, riding them on public roads open to vehicular traffic is both dangerous and illegal, as a series of tragic ATV accidents in South Carolina in recent years has shown.  If you have been injured in an accident involving an ATV, contact a Columbia personal injury lawyer.

ATVs Do Not Belong on City Streets

All terrain vehicles (ATVs) are a popular form of outdoor recreation year-round in South Carolina.  An ATV looks like the tricycle equivalent of a motorcycle, with a sturdy frame, three wheels, a noisy engine, and handlebars for steering.  South Carolina has several ATV parks where the terrain is especially rugged for an exciting ride, but it is legal to ride ATVs anywhere off-road, from dirt roads on private property to open fields where you are not bothering anyone.  You do not need a driver’s license to drive an ATV; you can drive it as long as you are tall enough for your feet to reach the pedals, even though the officially listed minimum age for driving an ATV is six.  You must wear a helmet while riding in an ATV if you are younger than 16, but if you are old enough to get a license to drive a car, then wearing a helmet while riding in an ATV is optional.

What is not an option is driving your ATV on roads open to vehicular traffic.  It is legal to drive golf carts for short distances on low-speed city streets, but the same does not apply to ATVs.  Despite this, drivers of cars have a responsibility to avoid striking ATVs in the road, just as they have a responsibility to avoid striking pedestrians and bicyclists, even if they are in places considered unsafe for these kinds of transport.

If you get injured in a collision between an ATV and a car, you may be able to recover compensation from the driver of the car or his or her insurance company.  You have the right to file a lawsuit arising from a preventable ATV accident regardless of whether the at fault driver got criminal charges.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you pursue a complaint related to an ATV accident.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Source:

wyff4.com/article/pickens-county-south-carolina-man-killed-hit-vehicle/62724615