Saluda Man Dies When Rough Terrain Vehicle Collides With Pickup Truck

Off-road vehicles are the perfect summer fun if you are in the mood for high-speed travel and the rumble of engines, but you want more vehicle structure than you can get from a motorcycle and you don’t feel like dealing with traffic laws.  Off-road vehicles like all terrain vehicles (ATVs) and utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) enable you to drive on and off the road as you choose.  South Carolina has several ATV parks where you can navigate rough terrain in the company of other ATV enthusiasts, but on roads with low speed limits, you can drive your car in vehicular traffic, as long as you don’t find it intimidating that yours is the smallest vehicle on the road.  The risks of riding an off-road vehicle in traffic are similar to those of riding a bicycle; you are surrounded by vehicles that are much bigger than yours and can go much faster, even when they are not supposed to.  If you suffered serious injuries when a car struck your off-road vehicle, contact a Columbia car accident lawyer.

How Safe Is It to Drive Off-Road Vehicles on the Road?

When you are 78 years old, you have earned the right to spend your time doing what makes you happy, and enjoying the great outdoors in an off-road vehicle is an excellent choice; this was how Warren Butler, Sr. of Saluda chose to spend his retirement.  Things went wrong, though, during a morning ride on Columbia Highway and Highway 378.  He had just passed outside the city limits of Saluda when his off-road vehicle, which news sources described as a “rough terrain vehicle,” collided with a Ford pickup truck.  Butler was transported to the hospital after the accident, and he died several hours later.

News reports did not provide any details about how the accident happened.  It took place at 10:30 in the morning on a sunny day, so weather conditions affecting visibility or the road surface were not an issue.  The accident is still under investigation as of June 2024, so police have not released any information about any traffic violations committed by either driver.  It appears that the area of the road where the accident happened had a low enough speed limit that it was legal for Butler to drive there.

If the investigation reveals that the main cause of the accident was factors outside Butler’s control, his surviving family members have the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit against any parties responsible for the accident.  Pursuant to South Carolina’s comparative negligence laws, the surviving family members can still file a lawsuit if the victim was partially at fault, but the amount of money they can get is reduced proportionally to the victim’s share of fault.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you if you have been injured in a rough terrain vehicle accident.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Source:

https://www.wrdw.com/2024/06/27/coroner-ids-victim-rtv-crash-saluda-county/