HURRICANE – A name has been released in the off-highway vehicle accident in Sand Hollow State Park Monday.
Laura Melling, Sand Hollow State Park manager, said 57-year-old Berl Lane Birch, of St. George, was killed when the off-highway vehicle he was driving, a Polaris Razor, rolled in the dune area of the state park around 4 p.m. Monday.
A passenger, a male, and Washington County resident in his 50s or 60s, was also injured and taken to the hospital.
Though the investigation into the cause of the roll is ongoing, Melling said it was a “good possibility” that high winds were a factor.
“The wind makes everything look flat when it isn’t,” she said, and explained the winds on the dunes could obstruct a driver’s visibility.
Melling said the OHV had a roll-cage and neither man was wearing a helmet. She also added helmets were not required to operate the vehicle.
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Copyright 2012 St. George News.