Nevada's wide open spaces are an invitation for off-road enthusiasts, but after a rollover accident Tuesday off Deer Run Road, Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong is warning people to be careful.
About 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, a Jeep traveling down a hill east of the river rolled over, ejecting all five passengers.
Three women, ages around 19 or 20, were transported to the hospital with moderate injuries. Two men, including the driver, refused medical attention at the scene.
The driver, 19, admitted to drinking alcohol, but was not over the legal limit, according to Sheriff Ken Furlong.
The report has been forwarded to the district attorney for review.
"Anybody off-roading needs to make sure they do not exceed the occupancy of the vehicle and that people are seat-belted in," Furlong said. "If you are ejected from a vehicle that is rolling on a hillside, you stand a great probability of that vehicle rolling over the top of you."
"It is only by the grace of God that one of the five occupants - of a Jeep with only two seats - did not get killed," he said.
Furlong said off-road enthusiasts should have a first-aid kit and a cell phone to call for help. Alcohol should never be a part of "high-risk entertainment."
He also wanted to remind people that such recreation has other hazards.
"Off-road vehicles are very frequently the cause of fires in our rural areas. A small spark, with the dryness of our brush, could create a catastrophic fire," he said. "Anyone who is driving off-road needs to plan ahead."