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Two die in snowmobile crash
Mike W. Bryant
The two men likely died instantaneously from severe head trauma in an apparent head-on collision in the early morning hours of Dec. 31 while out sledding on Prelude Lake, about 30km east of Yellowknife, said RCMP Sgt. Michael Payne.
Names of the deceased are being withheld by police after the families declined to provide their consent for release. One was a 28-year-old resident of Dettah. The other was a 32-year-old living in Yellowknife. A funeral service was held yesterday for the Dettah man at St. Patrick's Parish church. Police say the two men appear to have been driving at very fast speeds on high-powered, 800 cc. Bombardier Ski-Doo Rev snowmobiles when the accident occurred. "They pretty well died instantly," Payne said. "At least that's the way it appears." The impact left a debris field extending 44 metres from the point of collision, Payne said. Two helmets were seized at the scene but it appears only one man was wearing one, according to an RCMP press release issued yesterday. A mechanical inspection of the snowmobiles will determine the drivers' speeds at the time of the crash, whether brakes were applied, and whether headlights on the machines were operational, Payne said. The investigation has since been turned over to the chief coroner of the NWT. Percy Kinney is awaiting results for toxicology tests of the men's blood to determine whether drugs and alcohol may have been a factor in the crash. Tests results will be made public once he is has concluded his report, said Kinney. Police found a backpack at the scene with several beer cans in it, but have so far declined to speculate whether any of the men were impaired at the time of the accident. No criminal charges are being contemplated. Payne suspects the two men knew each other and had been travelling earlier together as part of a larger group. He believes that at some point in the preceding hours before the accident that some children were with them. Police were notified of the accident around 4:30 a.m. after a witness sought help from a cottage dweller nearby. Both RCMP and Yellowknife Fire Department responded. Along with the witness, they travelled to the crash scene by snowmobile. Deputy fire chief Darcy Hernblad said it was about a five-minute drive from the Prelude Lake East access to the accident site on the north side of the lake near a snowmobile trail that leads to Bliss Lake - a popular hunting and fishing area 7km further north. Another firefighter, who was at his cabin on Prelude, was roused out of his bed to help, Hernblad said. The bodies of the men were taken to Stanton Territorial Hospital, and later released to the families. Other than blood tests, no autopsies were performed. Hernblad called the accident particularly tragic considering the time of year. It's the second year in a row that authorities have had to deal with a fatal snowmobile accident during the holiday season. On Dec. 28 last year, 38-year-old Scott Dowdall was killed after colliding with another snowmobiler near Vee Lake. Another snowmobile accident resulting in injuries occurred two weeks ago on Dec. 24 near Rae-Edzo. Nicola Brouillette, nurse-in-charge at the Rae-Edzo health centre, declined to describe the extent of the injuries, or how many people were involved, but did say the accident was serious. The Rae-Edzo RCMP detachment had little to say either. "It's tough at any time of year, but at this time of year it just has that extra little impact on everybody," said Hernblad. Last weekend's tragedy highlights the need for more stringent rules for snowmobile users, including competency exams and mandatory helmet use, chief coroner Kinney said. "I have serious concerns about snowmachines and the lack of any comprehensive legislation Northern-wide," said Kinney. "The evolution of the snowmachine over the last 20 years has made this all that much more important. These things are fast, powerful machines now."
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