A man was killed when the all-terrain vehicle he was driving hit a deer and crashed into a tree near Fenton.

Whiteside County sheriff’s deputies were called at 3:40 a.m. Thursday to the single-vehicle ATV crash on Mellotts Road, west of Fenton, Whiteside County Sheriff John Booker said.

Preliminary investigation indicates that a Polaris Sportsman ATV, operated by Larry D. Hill, 63, was traveling west on Mellotts Road when it struck a deer, causing Hill to lose control and crash into a tree. Hill was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Morrison Fire Department, Morrison EMS, the Whiteside County Coroner’s Office and Hunter’s Towing.

The incident remains under investigation.