Polk County, FL : Boca Raton man dies in ATV crash on New Year on Thursday, 3rd January 2019

A 22-year-old Boca Raton man died when an all-terrain vehicle he was riding flipped onto its side in a water-filled ditch, trapping him underneath, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

Matthew Ryan McGrath was last seen on the ATV about 3 a.m. on New Year's Day, said sheriff’s spokesman Scott Wilder, in a news release.

An off-duty firefighter found the crash scene about 5:40 p.m. Tuesday and McGrath's body was discovered pinned under the ATV.

Investigators say McGrath was operating the 2019 green Can-Am ATV in a shallow ditch that runs along the south side of the 19000 block of State Road 60, about 25 miles west of the Yeehaw Junction exit on Florida’s Turnpike. The ditch is about six feet deep and about 30 feet south of State Road 60.

McGrath was not wearing a helmet or other protective gear at the time of the crash, investigators said. The ATV was equipped with lights.

The cause of death will be determined by the Polk County Medical Examiner's Office.

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