Three men died Saturday in separate ATV crashes in Maine, the Maine Warden Service said Sunday.
Around 10 a.m. Saturday in The Forks, Joshua Violette, 32, of Readfield was the fifth driver in a group of nine when he hit a dip in the road, lost control and flipped his ATV. He died at the scene.
Violette’s passenger, Ashlie Dostie, 33, of Mount Vernon had injuries that were not life-threatening, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife said in a news release. She was taken to Redington-Fairview General Hospital in Skowhegan.
Neither rider was wearing a helmet.
A few minutes later in Anson, Roland Robitaille, 69, of Freedom was riding in a line of seven ATVs on a trail behind the Solon Road. He went over a bridge on the trail, lost control, and was thrown from his vehicle.
Robitaille was not wearing a helmet, wardens said. He was found facedown in the trail by other members of his group, with severe injuries to his head and chest. His companions called 911 and performed CPR until emergency workers arrived, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
That night in Lang Township, Tyler Curry, 29, of Groton, Massachusetts, was riding alone on a private access road. Just before crossing a bridge, he made a left turn and slid off the bridge and into the river.
Curry was not wearing a helmet. Around 6:20 p.m., two men came to the river to fish and found Curry’s body. He was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency personnel.
The Maine Warden Service said it believes speed was a factor in the crash, and continues to investigate.
“ATV riding can be a wonderful way to enjoy the outdoors when they are driven properly,” Cpl. John MacDonald of the warden service said in a statement. “Always wear your helmet, always ride under control, always ride sober and stay on marked trails.”
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