ORANGE COUNTY – The Orange County Sheriff’s issued a warning after video showed seven ATV drivers on the turnpike.
In the video you can see the ATV drivers going northbound on the turnpike, some of the drivers make a U-turn.
This is why it is illegal for an ATV to be on the Turnpike or any other Highway. The driver of the car suffered minor injuries. Charges are pending against the ATV rider that fled the scene, after the crash. https://t.co/4SFZqzUJk3
— FHP Orlando (@FHPOrlando) March 25, 2019
A car was forced off the road after ATV drivers merged into traffic.
The Sheriff’s Office said people driving ATVs is not only an issue in the area, it’s a problem nationwide.
Investigators said they are constantly thinking of ideas to prevent this illegal activity.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol crash report, the driver of a red Toyota Corolla was traveling in the center lane of State Road 91 near mile marker 257 when the driver of a Yamaha ATV cut off the Corolla. The driver of the Corolla said they were unable to avoid hitting the ATV.
The ATV ran off the road hitting an electronic billboard. The ATV driver was picked up by another ATV and fled the scene, according to the FHP report.
A Orange County Sheriff’s Office helicopter pilot witnessed the crash from the air and said two off-road vehicles made an illegal U-turn onto south State Road 91 cutting into traffic. The pilot said the Corolla would have been unable to avoid hitting the off-road vehicle.
Deputies later identified the driver of the ATV as James McCoy, of Miami.
OCSO is aware of the dangers illegal Motorcycle/ATV activity poses to the public. This behavior will not be tolerated and several arrests were made this past weekend. We will continue to work diligently to enforce applicable laws. Call 911 if you see this dangerous activity. pic.twitter.com/bvT1EbpZYw
— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) March 25, 2019
“We will not tolerate this activity and are putting our utmost effort towards minimizing it,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Anyone who sees someone driving an ATV illegally is asked to call police.
Five people were arrested for their involvement in ATV-related incidents this past weekend, according to the Sheriff’s Office.