Man nearly severs arm in ATV accident

Authorities and emergency medical personnel were called to High Mesa Road shortly after midnight on Sunday in reference to an ATV accident with an injury. When authorities arrived, they found a 2014 Orange Polaris on its driver’s side. Two passengers were standing near the side by side. The male driver was found laying on the ground within the vehicle’s roll cage. The driver was laying on his left side, holding his left arm in a tee-shirt. Two officers on the scene evaluated the driver’s condition. It appeared that the accident had caused a partial amputation of the driver’s left hand. The two officers helped the driver out of the side by side as an ambulance crew arrived. The driver was transported to Mount Graham Regional Medical Center.

According to a report from the Graham County Sheriff’s office, the deputy on scene could smell an odor of alcohol emitting from the driver. The driver reportedly had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech.

Investigators concluded that the driver of the Polaris was traveling too fast and failed to negotiate a right-hand turn. There were empty beer cans in and around the vehicle. Authorities asked the passengers if they had been drinking. Both men reportedly hesitated before answering the question. One of the men said that he had one beer. The other man stated that he was 18 years old. Both passengers said they were not traveling fast when the vehicle flipped over. Neither passenger seemed to know how much alcohol the driver had consumed.

One of the officers on the scene traveled to the emergency room to get consent for a blood draw from the driver, but the driver denied consent. While arranging for a warrant for the blood draw, authorities were advised that the driver was being flown to University Medical Center in Tucson.

The warrant for the blood draw was granted and sent to the Tucson Police Department with a request for an officer to conduct the blood draw. Possible DUI charges are pending the results on the blood draw. As of this report, there was no information available about the condition of the driver.

 

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