A juvenile passenger was killed Wednesday evening after a side-by-side ATV carrying two people left the road and rolled in Cabell County, West Virginia. The driver, identified as 51-year-old Michael David Hager of Barboursville, is now facing a DUI charge in connection with the fatal crash, according to authorities.
The crash happened on Cyrus Creek Road, in the 3000 block near U.S. Route 60 East and the Huntington Mall. Cabell County 911 received an emergency call at approximately 5:14 p.m. on November 11, reporting a crash in the area.
According to Cabell County Sheriff Doug Adams, Hager and the juvenile were riding together in a side-by-side ATV when the vehicle left the roadway and entered a ditch. The vehicle then rolled, killing the young passenger.
Investigators believe the ATV may have overcorrected before rolling into another vehicle, Sheriff Adams said. However, authorities have not released a full account of what happened in the moments leading up to the crash. The exact circumstances remain under investigation.
Hager, who lives in Barboursville, was arrested and charged with DUI causing death. The charge follows an incident that turned an evening ride into a fatal crash, leaving a juvenile dead and the driver facing a serious criminal case.
The sheriff’s office has not released the passenger’s name or age. Authorities have also not provided further details about the other vehicle reportedly involved in the incident or whether anyone else was injured.
The investigation is ongoing, and officials have not announced any additional charges or released further information about the events leading up to the rollover. For now, the known details point to a vehicle that left the road, rolled in a ditch and claimed the life of its juvenile passenger.
The fatal crash occurred on Cyrus Creek Road near U.S. Route 60 East, close to the Huntington Mall in Cabell County, within the Huntington metropolitan area of western West Virginia.