Rider Dies After Crashing ATV In Stanislaus County

STANISLAUS COUNTY (CBS13) - The body of an ATV rider who went missing on Thursday in Stanislaus County has been located.

A CHP spokesperson says that on Thursday just before midnight, the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office was notified of an ATV crash in rural Stanislaus County. When they arrived at the scene of the incident, first responders found an ATV partially submerged in the West Stanislaus Main Canal, just west of the San Joaquin River.

Later on, searchers found the rider submerged in the canal near the ATV.  Officers from the California Highway Patrol arrived and say they found evidence that the rider was riding in an area east of River Road when the ATV left the roadway, went down a dirt embankment, and overturned into a slough waterway, ejecting the rider.

It's unknown if the crash killed the rider or if they drowned.

The Stanislaus County Coroner's Office has identified the rider as a 21-year-old Chicago man. The CHP says he didn't appear to have been wearing a helmet when he crashed.  It is unknown if alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in the crash.

The rider's name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.