ATV Crash at Oregon Coast Dunes Event Results in DUI

Published 06/27/23 at 5:31 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Coos Bay, Oregon) – A crash on the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (ODNRA) on the south Oregon coast has illustrated how important it is to not ride off-road vehicles under the influence of alcohol. A 51-year-old man was arrested for DUI near Coos Bay after he rolled his vehicle end-over-end. (Photo courtesy Coos County Sheriff's)

On June 23, about 5:33 p.m., Coos County Sheriff's Patrol Deputy M.R. Smith responded to Dune 10 after a call regarding a vehicle wrecked on the dunes. Assisting Forest Service officers, Smith quickly observed clear signs of impairment on the driver, 51-year-old Chad Revec.

Revec was there as part of the UTV Takeover event, a large-scale ride and camping festival that takes place along the south Oregon coast dunes. It draws over 30,000 people, and drinking incidents like this are not unheard of.

Coos County Sheriff's said Revec refused all medical care at the time of the incident, but he did consent to a field sobriety test.

“Before completing the tests, Mr. Revec was transported to Bay Area Hospital for treatment,” said the sheriff's office.

Courtesy Oregon's Adventure Coast

After an investigation, the Sheriff's office cited Revec for driving under the influence of intoxicants and he remained under care at the Bay Area Hospital.

Coos County Sheriff Gabe Fabrizio had some advice for those at the festival – and those riding these Oregon coast dunes in general.

“UTV takeover is a fantastic event and brings many people to our beautiful area,” Fabrizio said. “However, your Sheriff’s Office must remind the community not to drive if you have consumed alcohol during the hours leading up to driving. Mr. Revec is lucky that a hospital visit and a criminal citation are all that happened during this event. Thank you, Deputy Smith, and the assisting Forest Service Officers.”

Most or all Oregon driving laws apply to ATV's on Oregon coast sand dunes, along with the other laws and rules particular to these sensitive areas. You can get cited for DUI as well as: Open contain of alcohol; driving while suspended or revoked; driving uninsured; failure to carry proof of insurance; and others.

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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