CHIPPEWA COUNTY (WJRT) - (01-17-18) - A 51-year-old Saginaw man was killed in a snowmobile accident in the Upper Peninsula.
The Department of Natural Resources says it happened around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in Chippewa County along Snowmobile Trail Number 8, just south of Paradise along Whitefish Bay.
Investigators say the man lost control on a curve and hit a tree between M-123 and Curley Lewis Highway. He was taken to Helen Joy Newberry Hospital where he later died.
“It appears the operator of the snowmobile was unable to negotiate a corner on the trail and struck a tree,” said Lt. Skip Hagy, DNR District 2 law supervisor.
In the wake of several fatal crashes in Michigan this winter, DNR conservation officers are reminding snowmobilers to ride safely.
“We are advising snowmobile operators to watch their speed and drive cautiously, especially in areas they are unfamiliar with,” Hagy said. “A large percentage of snowmobile accidents occur when drivers come into a corner too fast and go off the trail.”
So far, his name has not been released.