Valencia County warns off-road crashes can turn serious quickly
A Rio Puerco UTV crash left one rider critical and another seriously hurt, after Valencia County crews also took two children to the hospital from a separate ATV wreck that same day.
A crash in the Rio Puerco area west of Belen sent one rider to Albuquerque by helicopter in critical condition and another by ambulance with serious injuries, a reminder Valencia County crews say is becoming harder to ignore. The May 31 UTV wreck was the second serious ATV or UTV crash firefighters handled that day, after an earlier ATV crash sent two children to the hospital with multiple traumatic injuries.
Valencia County Fire Department officials are using those back-to-back calls to push a simple message: off-road crashes can turn severe fast. In a county with long rural stretches, rough terrain and popular riding areas, responders do not always have the luxury of a quick handoff to definitive care, and the difference between a routine outing and a life-changing injury can be measured in minutes.
Fire officials urged riders to wear helmets, stay off roadways and make sure children do not operate ATV or UTV vehicles without supervision. New Mexico law requires riders under 18 to wear a safety helmet when operating or riding on a motorcycle or ATV, and state off-highway vehicle rules also require eye protection and a securely fastened helmet for riders under 18.
State safety officials say the risk is not limited to broken bones. The New Mexico Department of Health has identified ATV sports as one of the common causes of childhood traumatic brain injury, which is why the injuries to the two children in the earlier crash carried such concern for responders. The Consumer Product Safety Commission also advises that riders younger than 16 use age-appropriate youth models instead of adult machines, never carry more passengers than there are seats and avoid alcohol before riding.
For families who use side-by-sides or dirt bikes for recreation or work, New Mexico Game and Fish offers free hands-on ATV and dirt-bike safety classes for riders ages 6 and up. The training also provides the safety permit required for public land or paved-road operation, a detail that matters for anyone mixing off-road recreation with travel near roads and trails.
With summer bringing more people outdoors and onto dirt roads, Valencia County officials want riders to treat ATVs and UTVs like the motorized vehicles they are. In Rio Puerco, crews saw in one day how quickly a ride can become a helicopter transport, a hospital admission and a call for more caution on the next outing.
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