ATV driver dies after colliding with deputy's patrol car in Lee County

LEE COUNTY (WTVD) -- An ATV driver died after colliding with a deputy's patrol car in Lee County early Friday morning.

It happened just after 1 a.m. on East Forest Oaks Drive, just off of Lower Moncure Road in Sanford.

Images from Chopper11 HD showed the 2004 Honda ATV and a Lee County Sheriff's deputy's vehicle at the scene.

Authorities said the deputy was traveling east, as the ATV was going west - straddling the centerline of the roadway - when they collided. After the collision, the patrol car ran off the road and struck a ditch bank, while the ATV traveled onto the right shoulder, causing the driver to be ejected.

The deputy, Manuel Antonio Torres, was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, but has since been released.

A preliminary investigation indicated that the ATV operator traveled left of center into the path of the deputy's vehicle.

Troopers are continuing their investigation into the case.