A Merriam man is in critical condition after crashing a four-wheeler in an undeveloped Shawnee park on Labor Day.
Emily Rittman, a spokesperson for the Shawnee Police Department, said police and firefighters were called to the 5300 block of Frisbie Road at 5:35 p.m. Monday.
That’s in the westernmost part of the city, near the Kansas River.
“The reporting party found a Merriam resident with a severe head injury following a crash,” Rittman said in a news release. “First responders transported one man in his 40s to the hospital in critical condition.”
Recorded radio traffic indicated that the man was not wearing a helmet or protective gear. He sustained a significant skull fracture and a broken leg.
The crash happened in Riverfront Park, an undeveloped city park that spans more than 400 acres in northwestern Shawnee along the Kansas River.
“As a reminder, the operation of ATVs anywhere within Shawnee city limits is prohibited,” Rittman said in the release.
The Shawnee City Council did recently approved changes to city code that allow for golf carts on streets that have a posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour or less.
“Those changes do not include the use of ATVs,” Rittman said.
As of Tuesday morning, police had not released any updates on the man’s condition.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Mike Frizzell is a freelance crime and fire reporter who runs Operation 100 News.
