Why Riding An ATV On The Highway Is A Bad Idea In New York

All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) riders flee from police before abandoning the machine in an attempt to get away.

Why was this individual attempting to get away from authorities? There may be several reasons. According to a press release, the suspect had an illegal passenger and was traveling on a state highway. It is illegal to drive an ATV on the highway in New York State. Here's the story.

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On Saturday December 27, 2025 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officers took part in a multi-unit all-terrain enforcement detail in Suffolk County when they spotted a machine traveling on a highway.

The driver of this particular ATV, which is a single person machine, had a passenger holding on in the back. DEC officer's Anderson and Della Rocco teamed up with Suffolk County Parks and Suffolk County Police to pursue this ATV and it's passengers.

dec.ny.gov

The individuals fled from the officers despite being signaled to stop. DEC officer Anderson and Della Rocco canvassed the area and discovered the ATV abandoned on a trail. See the picture above.

They searched further and located the ATV riders on a nearby trail waiting to be picked up as their ATV had broken down while fleeing from the ECOs. The riders received multiple tickets, including failure to wear a helmet, carrying an excess person on an ATV, and fleeing from a Police Officer while operating an ATV.