Aug. 4, 2026
DE SOTO, Wis. — An 81-year-old De Soto man died Monday afternoon after a utility terrain vehicle rolled over on private property in Vernon County, authorities said.
The Vernon County Sheriff’s Office said dispatchers were notified of the crash at about 4:30 p.m. Monday.
Lester Rollin Flick was operating a 2018 Gravely JSV 3000 on private property in the Town of Wheatland, accessible from South Glass Road near De Soto. Investigators said Flick was driving down a steep dirt road when the vehicle’s speed increased significantly, causing it to overturn and strike a tree.
Flick was ejected from the vehicle and came to rest near the edge of the trail. The UTV came to rest on its left side across the trail, according to investigators.
Vernon County Coroner Betty Nigh pronounced Flick dead at the scene.
Authorities said the vehicle was equipped with rollover protection, but Flick was not wearing a seat belt.
Preliminary findings suggest Flick may have experienced a medical event before the crash, rather than losing control of the vehicle solely because of the terrain, investigators said.
Assisting at the scene were the De Soto Fire Department, De Soto First Responders, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, the Vernon County Coroner’s Office and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Gundersen Tri-State Ambulance, GundersenAIR and the Ferryville Fire Department were initially dispatched but were canceled after the first responders arrived.
The crash remains under investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Vernon County Coroner’s Office and the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office.
In a statement, Vernon County Sheriff Roy Torgerson expressed condolences to Flick’s family and others affected by the incident, noting that the property where the crash occurred was owned by the Flick family.
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