A 22-year-old-man died following a Thursday evening snowmobile crash.
Thunder Bay Police Service responded to reports of a crash on private property near Paquette Road around 5:40 p.m. Thursday. Police say two people were riding an Arctic Cat XF800 snowmobile when it slammed into a tree.
The 22-year-old driver was transported to hospital but died of his injuries. He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
A post-mortem is being done Friday in Thunder Bay.
Paramedics also took a 20-year-old woman to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. She has since been released.
Traffic unit Sgt. Glenn Porter said she was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
Porter explained the vehicle was traveling at high speeds when it struck the tree and finally stopped near the McIntyre River.
“I’m a firm believer in safety equipment and I’m of the belief that you should wear all the equipment all of the time,” Porter said.
“Helmets do save lives. These machines are able to reach high speeds within a short distance. They don’t stop as easily as say a car or truck. It’s very easy to have speed be a part of a critical collision.”
Porter said they haven’t received many complaints about snowmobiles this year.
Police have not named either of the victims. Porter added they expected to release the names Friday once all next of kin have been notified.
Superior North EMS acting superintendent Gord MacCabe said the paramedics that arrived on scene transported the patient to the hospital. He said he was alive while they were transporting him but he was in critical condition.
“The patient was critical and the paramedics did a heck of a job,” MacCabe said. “I talked to the crew this morning. You do your best. It’s such a young life. One of the crewmembers knew the father. It’s never an easy thing and it’s tough on everybody let alone the family.”
