72-Year-Old Man Dies in UTV Rollover Near Phillips, Price Co

Last updated: September 2026

A 72-year-old man died Wednesday after his UTV veered off a roadway and rolled over in the Town of Emery, east of Phillips, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. It is the first ATV/UTV fatality Price County has recorded in 2026 — and the 33rd across Wisconsin this year Ripsaw Saloon in Prentice is right on the ATV trail — gas, food, and drinks..

Quick Answer: On Wednesday, September 2, 2026, a 72-year-old man was driving a UTV along an established ATV road route in the Town of Emery when he veered off the roadway and the machine rolled over. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He was wearing a seatbelt but not a helmet, and was not operator safety certified, per the DNR’s official incident report. Authorities have not yet released his name.

What happened

The crash happened Wednesday on an ATV road route in the Town of Emery, east of Phillips. The man was operating a utility terrain vehicle when it left the roadway, causing a rollover. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene.

The DNR’s 2026 fatal crash incident report lists the accident type as a rollover, with the operator wearing a seatbelt but no helmet. The operator was not recorded as safety certified. Blood alcohol results are pending as the investigation continues. The victim’s identity has not been publicly released while next of kin are notified and the investigation is finalized.

Wisconsin’s 33rd ATV/UTV fatality this year

The crash marks the 33rd fatal ATV/UTV incident in Wisconsin in 2026, according to the DNR’s tracker. It’s the first in Price County this year. The number of deaths has continued climbing through a summer the DNR has repeatedly flagged for risky riding.

In mid-August, the DNR reported that rollovers were among the top types of fatal crashes in 2026, and that many of the season’s fatalities involved riders without helmets or seatbelts — a pattern this Emery crash matches: no helmet, seatbelt on, and the operator not safety-certified.

The pattern behind the numbers

Look down the DNR’s 2026 incident list and the same details repeat: rider not safety certified, no helmet, a machine gone over on a curve or roadway. Of the 33 fatal incidents so far this year, rollovers dominate the accident types, and helmets were missing in the large majority of them. Alcohol and speed are frequently flagged as contributing factors in the synopses, though in this Price County case the alcohol test is still pending.

What stands out in this crash is that the operator was wearing a seatbelt. In most of the year’s fatal rollovers, the rider had neither helmet nor belt. Here the belt kept him in the machine, but in an open or partial-cab UTV that alone is often not enough to survive a rollover — the DNR’s guidance has stressed this repeatedly.

DNR pushing safety through Labor Day weekend

The death comes during the DNR’s “Think Smart Before You Start” ATV/UTV safety and enforcement campaign, which runs through the Labor Day holiday weekend. Local recreation deputies and DNR wardens have been conducting extra patrols and education efforts aimed at slowing the state’s fatality count, which has been driven heavily by rollovers, speed, and alcohol.

The DNR reminds operators that helmets remain the single most effective protection in a rollover, even in enclosed UTVs, and that Wisconsin law requires every crash involving a fatality or injury to be reported to law enforcement without delay.

What riders in Price County should take from this

Price County is prime ATV/UTV country, with an extensive network of trails and road routes through the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and surrounding towns. This crash is a reminder that road-route riding carries real risk — even on an established route, in daylight, at moderate speeds.

The victim here was wearing a seatbelt, which likely kept him in the machine, but had no helmet. In a rollover, the DNR’s data shows that combination is still frequently fatal. For anyone heading out this Labor Day weekend, the DNR’s core advice is simple: wear a helmet, slow down, and never ride impaired.

Frequently asked questions

Where did the crash happen? In the Town of Emery, on an ATV road route east of Phillips. The DNR lists the location as “ATV Rd Route” in Price County.

Was this the first ATV/UTV death in Price County this year? Yes. The DNR’s 2026 incident table shows no earlier Price County entry, making this the county’s first fatal ATV/UTV crash of the year.

Was the victim wearing a helmet? No. The DNR report lists “No” for helmet and “Yes” for seatbelt. The operator was also not recorded as safety certified.

Have authorities released the victim’s name? Not yet. The DNR and local agencies are notifying family and completing the investigation before releasing the identity.

How many people have died in ATV/UTV crashes in Wisconsin in 2026? The crash is the 33rd fatal ATV/UTV incident in Wisconsin this year, per the DNR’s crash report.

See our guide to ATV trails in Price County, our trail conditions report, and our full look at Wisconsin’s 2026 ATV safety laws and the seatbelt rule that took effect in June.

Sources

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