South Dakota ATV Driver Killed in Highway Accident

A South Dakota man is dead after an ATV accident on a highway.

According to Dakota News Now, the unidentified 62-year-old man was driving east of Hoven on South Dakota Highway 20 Sunday morning when he was rear-ended by a 26-year-old man driving a Ford Explorer.

The driver of the ATV was thrown from the vehicle after it went into the ditch and rolled. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Explorer was uninjured.

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If you have seen ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) driving around on the street and thought it was peculiar, it is indeed legal. They can drive on public streets and highways as long as they have been registered and have a license plate. To get a plate for it the ATV must have a rearview mirror, headlights, a horn, a license plate light, exhaust and muffler, parking, tail, and stoplights, and an engine at least 200 ccs in size.

The rules of the road are the same for ATVs as they are for other motor vehicles and motorcycles except that they are strictly prohibited on the interstate highway system. Anyone driving an ATV on public roads and streets must have a valid driver's license, must wear eye protection at all times unless they have a windshield, and anyone under 18 years of age must wear a helmet at all times. They must also have a copy of the registration and proof of insurance.

It is not known if the ATV in the accident was street legal or licensed.