TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A 27-year-old surnamed Gu (古) died after an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) he was riding overturned and crushed him in Pingtung’s Hengchun Township on Tuesday night (Feb 13).
Gu was on his Lunar New Year holiday when he and a group of five friends decided to rent ATVs. ATVs are regulated in Hengchun, though some businesses continue to flout the law and offer unsafe tourist services, per UDN.
The location of the accident was private property in Sigou Village (四溝里), which contained uneven terrain and several hillside trails. Gu lost control on a downward slope causing the ATV to fall on him and pin him underneath.
His friends rushed to his assistance and freed him, later transporting him to Hengchun Tourism Hospital. He soon lapsed into a coma due to intracranial hemorrhaging and was pronounced dead at 8 p.m.
Private property where ATV accident occurred. (CNA photo)
Hengchun Precinct officer Huang Wen-chih (黃文智) said the ATV was riding on private property in a mountainous area that is not within its jurisdiction. There was no video of the incident, but surrounding surveillance camera footage will be reviewed to better understand the circumstances around the case.
The case has been submitted to the Pingtung District Prosecutors Office for review. Prosecutors will determine whether the operator of the ATV business has criminal liability concerning the injury or death of a customer.
Riding ATVs was once a popular activity for tourists in Kenting National Park, allowing them to ride on beaches and grasslands and visit destinations such as Shuiwaku (水蛙窟) and Shiniu Creek (石牛溪). According to the law, ATVs are prohibited on roads and other park property.
Local authorities have stepped up enforcement of illegal ATV operations, while riders can be fined NT$3,000 (US$95.60) for operating an ATV on a roadway. Some ATV operators do not take out accident insurance, and others have no business registration or appropriate safety measures and equipment.
Police said the ATV business operator involved in the accident was not registered as a profit-making enterprise, did not have insurance, and did not have appropriate safety measures.
Pingtung County Department of Tourism Director Huang Guo-wei (黃國維) said that according to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications Tourism Bureau "ATV Management Guidelines" promulgated last year, ATV activities are prohibited on domestic beaches, national parks, roads, river areas, state-owned forests, and protected forests.
Furthermore, a draft of the Pingtung County ATV Management Ordinance stipulates that the operation of ATVs should abide by regulations, with activity areas limited to recreational land that require review and approval by the county council. ATV activities at Mazhou Gangzai Beach will be legally introduced in a specified area with appropriate land transfer and demarcation.
