- Former Congressman Bill Orton died in an ATV accident at Little Sahara Sand Dunes
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By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Former Democratic Congressman, William “Bill” Orton, 60, died in an ATV accident on Saturday.
The accident occurred in Juab County at the Little Sahara Sand Dunes Recreation Area west of Nephi 31 miles and 18 miles south of Eureka.
“Mr. Orton was involved in a ATV accident at Little Sahara Sand Dunes in Juab County at approximately 4 p.m. on Saturday April 18,” said Juab County Sheriff Alden Orme.
Orton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 1997. He ran an unsuccessful campaign for Utah governor in 2000.
He said that Orton was riding a Suzuki 4WD ATV on the sand west of Jericho Campground.
“At the time of the accident he was riding alone, he went over a steep sand dune, the ATV impacted with the sand causing the machine to flip over on him,” said Orme.
He said that Orton was wearing a helmet, but, nevertheless, sustained substantial trauma from the accident.
“Another ATV rider found Orton, the ATV was still on top of him, but the other rider was able to get the ATV off,” said Orme.
The other rider observed that Mr. Orton had serious injuries and summoned help.
A Juab County Deputy and a Utah Parks and Recreation Ranger were able to respond quickly to the site of the accident.
“West Juab Ambulance was summoned and Air Med Medical Helicopter responded to the scene,” said Orme. “Mr. Orton succumbed to his injuries at the scene.”
West Juab Ambulance transported Orton to Central Valley Medical Center and, from there, he was transported to the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office.
There was no witness to the accident, but, Orme said, riders sometimes react to the surprise of sand that has shifted into an unexpected steep hill and hit the brakes too fast, locking them. Sudden movements or ramming the ATV on a steep hill could result in a flip but.
“This was a very sad and tragic accident, Mr. Orton had his two young sons in the area with him. It is sad for Utah to loose one of its prominent politicians, but it is very heartbreaking for the Orton family to lose their husband and father. Our prayers go out to the Orton family,” said Orme.
The accident occurred just the week after the Easter weekend at the Little Sahara Dunes where more than 29,000 people had visited to enjoy the sport of ATV riding.
Even though another ATV rider found Orton just a short time after the accident, Orme said that Orton died almost immediately from his injuries.
“Our people responded to the scene of the accident at the Little Sahara,” said LuWayne Walker, Juab County commissioner. “In spite of quick response time, they were unable to save his life.”
Walker said he deemed the loss of Orton’s life a tragedy and said the commission wanted to join with others across the state and throughout the nation in offering his wife and sons condolences.
“We want to extend our heartfelt sympathy to his family,” said Walker.
“He was a good man and did a lot of good for the state,” said Chad Winn, commissioner. “He was well-liked. He lost the election in 1990, largely because President Bill Clinton threw him under the bus, so to speak, by creation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument without local input.”
Val Jones, commission chairman, said he did not personally know Orton but did join with the other two commissioners in sending words of sympathy to his family.
Little Sahara Recreation Area is a designated off-highway-vehicle open area managed by the Bureau of Land Management and features 60,000 acres of sand dunes, trails, and sagebrush flats.
Located in the northeastern part of the Sevier Desert in western Utah, it lies within the northern half of one of Utah’s largest dune fields and contains actively forming or migrating dunes and plant-stabilized dunes, both of which are remnants of ancient Lake Bonneville. The dunes are still moving to the north and east between five- and nine-feet per year.
Thousands of recreational vehicle enthusiasts gather at the recreation area each weekend and injuries are common. The Sand Dunes are popular mostly in the spring or fall as the summer heat makes the recreation site less appealing.
On an annual bases, two or three people die each year at Little Sahara.
Orton, who was wearing a helmet, was among thousands of four-wheel enthusiasts at the recreation area last weekend.
The Dunes are a fun but dangerous place to ride,” Orme said.
“There are a lot of rolling hills there and he went off a sand dune without realizing how far down he was going.”
Orme said several other riders Saturday were involved in crashes or collisions, and more than two dozen were injured last weekend.
Orton is survived by his wife, Jacquelyn, and two sons, Will and Wes.
“He suffered substantial injuries in the accident,” said Orme.
Information about those injuries and the exact cause of death will need to wait the results of an autopsy by the state medical examiner’s office.
Following his departure from Congress, Orton resumed the practice of law. He also joined Advantage Associates, a consulting firm made up of former politicians. In 2000, Orton unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Michael Leavitt for the governorship.
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