I guess their judgment was seriously impared due to drinking and they took off down the road without helmets racing each other.
Here's the printed version from here:
www.wsbt.com/news/local/38030794.htmlCASS COUNTY — Police are sending out a new warning in the wake of an snowmobile accident in Michigan that cost a Niles man his life.
Officers say neither of the riders was wearing a helmet. They also believe alcohol was a factor in the crash.
With snowmobile trails packed with new riders this winter, officers are now re-doubling their efforts to get out the message that careless riding can turn deadly.
On Wednesday afternoon, Jake Hemphill had heard the message loud and clear. He's been riding snowmobiles as long as he can remember.
This year, he says everyone else he knows is riding, too.
"The trails have been packed," he said.
Local officers patrolling the trails have seen it, too.
"If you go by any of the staging areas, they're packed every night and every weekend. There's just a lot more people out this year," said Michigan State Police Niles Post Sergeant Mike Dawson.
And not just in Michigan.
"The trail around South Bend has probably seen more snowmobiles in the past two weekends than its seen in the past two years," said Michiana Trail Riders Coalition Trailmaster Tony Suddon.
It's one big reason why Jake checked, then double checked all of his equipment before heading out on Wednesday.
["I'm] definitely keeping in my mind what happened last night, oh yeah," he said. "I always ride with a helmet and all my gear. I'd be too scared not to, way too scared."
Jake says there's a simple reason why: a "simple" accident can turn deadly.
"On Wednesday morning, one subject was overtaking the other, and rear-ended him," said Sgt. Dawson. "They collided, one of the subjects was thrown to the ground, where he died."
Dawson says alcohol may be a big reason why.
"Alcohol is a major problem [on the snowmobile trails]. When they get on the sled and start riding, their judgment is lax, their reaction time is slower, and they make bad calls," he said.
Dawson says both riders made several other bad calls, too, including leaving marked trails to ride on the road.
"In Michigan, you're allowed to ride on the un-plowed shoulder of a road, going in the direction of traffic. But you can't ride on a road unless its to cross the road at a perpendicular angle or you're crossing a bridge," Dawson said.
But even that might have been overcome, said Dawson, if the riders had been wearing the proper safety equipment.
"It is Michigan law that riders must wear a helmet. And, if you get thrown off, you need to have the proper safety gear on including eye gear, head gear, and bibs," Dawson said.
Indiana law also states riders must wear a helmet at all times while on the snowmobile.
"As a club, we have a requirement that everybody wears a helmet, every time. Everybody has to have insurance on their snowmobiles, and they must obey all state laws," said Suddon.
"Whether it's five minutes or an hour, you need that safety gear. These subjects were out for probably two minutes before the accident happened. But they didn't have any safety gear on, and one subject was killed," added Dawson.
Even for expert riders like Suddon, it's a reminder of just how quickly things can go wrong.
"Drinking, no helmet, riding on the road by cars -- any one of those by themselves is dangerous. But, you put them all together, and it's a recipe for disaster," he said.
Still, both police and riders agree: snowmobiling can be both fun and safe, provided riders follow a few simple rules.
Many local departments, including Michigan State Police and Berrien and Cass County Sheriffs' Departments offer free information and snowmobile safety classes to help you ride safely.
The other rider involved in Wednesday morning's accident is 27 years old and also from Niles. Police are not releasing the person's name or gender, however, saying only that they were taken to Lakeland Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The case has now been referred to the Cass County Prosecutor's Office. They will ultimately decide if any criminal charges will be filed
