NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) -  State troopers believe alcohol was a factor in an ATV crash that killed the driver and injured three female passengers near Strasburg early Sunday.  

The State Highway Patrol says 24-year-old Austin Zinkon of Sugarcreek died when his westbound Polaris RZR went off the left side of Hilltop Drive in Franklin Township and struck a tree just after 12:20 am Sunday.  New Philadelphia Post Sgt. Bill Bower says the four had just taken off from a nearby party in this two-seat vehicle.

“You had the driver and then you had one of the females was seated in the middle not actually in a seat and then you had another female that was in the passenger seat with another female sitting on top of her,” he says.

Bower says seat belts were not in use.

“These vehicles are open-top. They generally have roll bars, mainly for the purpose of offroading,” he says. “They’re not allowed to be on the road unless they are equipped with turn signals and horns and a license plate.”

Also in that crash, 21-year-old Stefanie Risher of Midvale was seriously injured and flown to an Akron Hospital;18-year-old Micah Busby of Bowerston was also flown to an Akron Hospital; and
20-year-old Emily Ditto of Baltic was taken to Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital.  

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