A 74-year-old ATV operator hit a hole while riding west of Rockford, Minn., and was fatally thrown from his vehicle, authorities said Tuesday.

The crash occurred about 5:50 p.m. Monday near the 6400 block of Hwy. 55 in Rockford Township, according to the Wright County Sheriff's Office.

Virgil Wagner, whose home is near the crash scene, hit what the Sheriff's Office described as "a large hole." Wagner was pronounced dead at the scene.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482