McPherson County Man Dies in ATV Crash in Meade County

FOWLER, Kan. — A 63-year-old McPherson County man died Tuesday evening when his all-terrain vehicle struck a tree on private property in southwestern Kansas.

Timothy Neal Beckerman of Inman was driving a 2009 Polaris ATV eastbound on a private field road in the 22000 block of B Road near Fowler when the fatal crash occurred around 8:30 p.m., according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.

Troopers said Beckerman accelerated before the ATV struck a tree. The impact threw him from the vehicle.

Emergency responders pronounced Beckerman dead at the scene. His body was transported to Fidler-Orme-Bachman Mortuary.

The Highway Patrol is investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. No other vehicles were involved in the incident.

Meade County is located in southwestern Kansas, approximately 130 miles southwest of Wichita. Fowler, where the accident occurred, has a population of about 590 people.

ATV accidents have become increasingly common in rural Kansas, where the vehicles are frequently used for farm work and recreation on private property. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reports that all-terrain vehicle crashes result in dozens of fatalities statewide each year.

The investigation into Tuesday's crash remains ongoing.