Wisconsin Snowmobile Fatality Summary - 2004/2005 Season
Updated through October 26, 2005 |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 1. |
12/17/04 |
Lincoln County |
Struck a tree. |
27 |
.217 |
Yes |
| |
23:45 |
Town of Bradley (Trail) |
Abdominal & Internal Injuries / Cardiac Arrhythmia / Alcohol |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim was following another snowmobile approx 40 mph on the trail. The victims companion turned to go to a tavern and then heard a loud crash behind him. When he returned he found the victim had went off the trail and it appears that the ski of the victim's snowmobile struck a tree and ejected him. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 2. & 3. |
12/26/04 |
Sauk County |
Struck a cable |
Victim #1 - 29. Victim #2 -30. |
Victim #1 - .230; Victim #2 .- 165 |
Victim #1 - No; Victim #2 - Non |
| |
19:20 |
Town of Merrimac (Lake) |
Neck & Head Injuries / Speed / Alcohol |
Both victims: M |
Both victims: WI |
Both victims: Yes |
| This incident involved two separate snowmobile operators who were riding in close proximity. Both operators struck a cable used to mark an area of open water on the lake at a warm water discharge and were ejected from their snowmobiles. The cable was stretched out from the shore and also had reflective markings on them. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 4. |
12/31/04 |
Racine County |
Fell through ice. |
30 |
.000 |
No |
| |
09:58 |
Town of Burlington (Lake) |
Hypothermia / Drowning / Controlled Substance |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim was seen traveling across the lake when he went near the center of the lake and had gone through the ice. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 5. |
1/2/05 |
Burnett County |
Struck a trailer. |
44 |
.241 |
No |
| |
20:30 |
Town of Oakland (Lake) |
Head & Chest Injuries / Alcohol / Speed |
M |
WI |
No |
| The victim was traveling on the lake without headlights and struck a trailer that was attached to a truck that was parked on the ice. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 6. |
1/6/05 |
Chippewa County |
Fell through ice. |
41 |
.172 |
No |
| |
Approx. 03:00 |
Town of Birch Creek (Lake) |
Hypothermia / Drowning / Alcohol |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim was last seen on the lake and report missing by his grandmother the next day. The victim and his snowmobile went through the ice near open water and both became submerged. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 7. |
1/6/05 |
Waukesha County |
Struck a tree. |
42 |
.036 |
Yes |
| |
Between 24:00-03:00 |
Town of Eagle (Road) |
Multiple Traumatic Injuries / Alcohol & Drugs / Speed |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| Evidence at the scene indicated that the victim's snowmobile right ski hooked on a 4 inch scrub oak at which point the snowmobile spun. The victim appears to have continued on where he collided with an oak tree. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 8. |
1/7/05 |
Douglas County |
Struck a downed log / stumps. |
32 |
.086 |
No |
| |
23:15 |
Town of Gordon (Road) |
Speed / Alcohol / Multiple blunt force head trauma |
M |
MN |
Yes |
| The victim passed three others in his group traveling approx. 50 MPH when he went straight at a curve in the road going into a brushy area with small popple trees. The victim then hit a downed log and then a stump in quick succession and became airborne and separated from his snowmobile. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 9. |
1/7/05 |
Jefferson County |
Struck a tree. |
38 |
.248 |
No |
| |
22:45 |
Town of Lake Mills (Trail) |
Alcohol / Speed / Massive Head, Neck & Chect Trauma |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim was in the lead and failed to manipulate a turn colliding with a tree that was in the fenceline straight ahead in the curve. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 10. |
1/8/05 |
Iron County |
Collided with a truck. |
27 |
.075 |
Yes |
| |
24:34 |
Town of Knight (Lake) |
Multiple Traumatic Injuries / Alcohol |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim collided with a truck on Island Lake. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 11. |
1/8/05 |
Jefferson County |
Struck a tree. |
36 |
.237 |
No |
| |
02:40 |
Town of Lake Mills (Trail) |
Alcohol / Speed / Massive Neck & Body Trauma / Pending |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim drove off the side of the trail and collided with several tree at a high rate of speed. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 12. |
1/12/05 |
Oneida County |
Collision with a island / tree. |
38 |
.240 |
No |
| |
23:45 |
Town of Pelican (Lake) |
Speed / Alcohol / Trauma / Impact Injury |
F |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim was last seen leaving a party on 1/12/05 and was found by a fisherman on 1/15/05. It appears the victim was traveling at a high rate of speed before hitting an island and going airborne for 36 feet before striking a large tree. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 13. |
1/14/05 |
Vilas County |
Fell from Machine / Collision with a tree |
34 |
.100 |
Yes |
| |
22:51 |
Town of Conover (Trail) |
Speed / Head Trauma / Alcohol |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim, while in a curve on the snowmobile trail, drove his snowmobile off the trail hitting soft snow causing the victim to fall off his snowmobile and strike a tree. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 14. |
1/15/05 |
Kenosha County |
Ejected |
5 |
.000 |
No |
| |
15:15 |
Town of Wheatland (Field) |
Inexperience / Trauma / Impact Injury |
F |
IL |
No |
| The victim was a passenger riding in front of the operator. The operator of the snowmobile was operating the snowmobile less than 15 or 20 MPH across some ice that had formed from water which collected in a depression in a field. As the snowmobile crossed the ice, the back of the snowmobile started to slide sideways and when the snowmobile hit the dry ground the passenger and operator were ejected from the snowmobile. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 15. |
1/19/05 |
Forest County |
Collision with another snowmobile |
19 |
.000 |
Yes |
| |
14:14 |
Town of Crandon (Field) |
Speed / Impact Injury |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim and another snomobile were jumping their snowmobiles on a steep hill and it appears that the other snowmobiler jumped the hill and landed on top of the victim who was coming up the hill from the opposite side. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 16. |
1/21/05 |
Price County |
Struck a tree. |
42 |
.275 |
No |
| |
19:30 |
Town of Ogema (Trail) |
High Speed / Poor Visibility / Head Injury / Alcohol |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim was out during a major snowstorm traveling on a long straight strech of the trail, went off the trail, struck a hump and then both the snowmobile and victim struck a tree. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 17. |
1/23/05 |
Marinette County |
Struck a tree. |
48 |
.196 |
No |
| |
13:22 |
Town of Beecher (Trail) |
High Speed / Alcohol / Trauma to Head |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim was found by an unrelated passing snowmobile party and upon investigation it appears that the victim was traveling at a high rate of speed and lost control at a slight bend in the trail stricking a tree. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 18. |
1/25/05 |
Vilas County |
Roll over / Struck by another snowmobile |
39 |
.000 |
Yes |
| |
17:55 |
Town of Boulder (Lake) |
Speed / Lost Control / Neck & Internal Injuries |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim was traveling across the lake in the middle of 6 other snowmobilers when he lost control and rolled over twice. The snowmobile just behind him swerved to avoid striking the snowmobile and hit the victim. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 19. |
2/5/05 |
Oneida County |
Struck trees / refrigerator/freezer |
36 |
.206 |
No |
| |
23:33 |
Town of Cassian (Lake/Yard) |
Speed / Alcohol |
M |
WI |
No |
| The victim was traveling at a fast speed on the ice, headed back towards the cabin and appeared to have driven over a depression on the shoreline. The outer edge of the snowmoibles left ski struck a tree changing the direction of the machine which then struck a second tree. The victim was ejected from the snowmoible went airborne through an open service door of the basement and struck a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 20. |
2/16/05 |
Oneida County |
Roll Over |
64 |
.240 |
No |
| |
23:30 |
Town of Cassian (Trail) |
Alcohol / Drowning |
M |
WI |
Yes |
The victim was traveling approx. 25 MPH when he failed to negotiate a turn and went straight off the trail. The snowmobile rolled on it's side trapping the victim underneat it. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 21. |
2/19/05 |
Adams County |
Struck a fixed object. |
52 |
.156 |
? |
| |
18:30 |
Town of Rom (Lake) |
Alcohol / Inexperience / Neck & Head Injuries |
M |
WI |
Yes |
The victim was traveling on a channel and failed to completely negotiate a corner, came up on the shoreline with the sled, and struck a pier. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 22. |
2/21/05 |
Oconto County |
Went airborne |
24 |
.109 |
Yes |
| |
22:30 |
Town of Stiles (Road) |
Alcohol / Speed / Chest Trauma |
M |
WI |
Yes |
The victim, traveling approx. 70 MPH, went around several road closed barricades on a newly constructed bypass, not open to the public and not paved, and went airborne dropping several feet. The victim was ejected from the sled. Relation picked him up and drove him home where he later went to the hospital and passed away. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 23. |
2/26/05 |
Forest County |
Struck a Tree |
17 |
.118 |
No |
| |
12:05 |
Town of Blackwell (Trail) |
Speed / Inexperience / Alcohol / Trauma Impact Injury |
M |
IL |
Yes |
The victim, appeared to have began to leave the groomed portion of the trail to the right and took corrective measures narrowly missing two trees. As the victim turned left to return to the groomed portion of the trail, he appeared to have been thrown from the machine, striking a tree. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 24. |
2/26/05 |
Vilas |
Struck Another Snowmobile |
50 |
.000 |
No |
| |
22:50 |
Town of Saint Germain (Lake) |
Speed / Alcohol / Head Injuries |
M |
IL |
Yes |
| The victim was traveling across the lake at approximately 60 mph when he collided head on with another snowmobile. The operator of the other snowmobile had been drinking and had a BAC of .057. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 25. |
2/27/05 |
Forest County |
Struck a Tree |
37 |
.184 |
Yes |
| |
12:12 |
Town of Laona (Trail) |
Speed / Alcohol / Trauma Impact Injury |
M |
WI |
Yes |
The victim was operating his snowmobile on a trail and evidence indicates that he was traveling at a high rate of speed and failed to negociate a turn. The machine traveled a distance of about 206 feet after leaving the trail before striking a tree. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 26. |
2/27/05 |
Vilas County |
Hit Shoreline/Steep Bank |
23 |
.106 |
Yes |
| |
03:15 |
Town of Presque Isle (Lake) |
Speed / Alcohol / Internal/Trauma/Impact Injuries |
M |
WI |
Yes |
The operator of the snowmobile was traveling at a high rate of speed across the lake and hit the shoreline. The operator and passenger / victim were ejected from the snowmobile. The operator was severely injured, the passenger died at the scene. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 27. |
2/28/05 |
Bayfield County |
Struck a Tree |
61 |
.000 |
No |
| |
11:00 |
Town of Grand View (Trail) |
Head & Neck Injuries / Speed / Trail Conditions / Reaction to edge of trail. |
M |
IA |
Yes |
According to witnesses the victim was traveling down a snowmobile trail when one of the skis on the snowmobile caught in the heavy snow and it pulled the victim into a tree. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 28. |
3/04/05 |
Sawyer County |
Struck a fixed object/tree |
42 |
.160 |
No |
| |
20:52 |
Town of Bass Lake (Lake) |
Speed / Alcohol / Internal & Impact Injury |
M |
MN |
Yes |
| The victim was found lying against a tree along the shoreline of Gindstone Lake. The victim appears to have been thrown from the snowmobile as it hit the embankment and into a tree several feet up on shore. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 29. |
3/05/05 |
Bayfield County |
Struck Shoreline |
25 |
.143 |
? |
| |
02:00 |
Town of Namakagon (Lake) |
Extensive Head & Body Injuries / Alcohol / Speed / Inexperience |
M |
MN |
Yes |
| The snowmobile was driven into a point of land that extended out onto Lake Namakagon and struck a tree and rock along the shoreline. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 30. |
3/05/05 |
Vilas County |
Struck Tree |
33 |
.230 |
No |
| |
Between 03:00 & 04:00 |
Town of Manitowish Waters (Trail) |
Head Injuries / Speed / Alcohol |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim went straight at a curve and hit large tree apporximately 10-15 feet off the side of the trail. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 31. |
3/05/05 |
Oconto County |
Collision with a tree. |
24 |
.000 |
Yes |
| |
09:56 |
Town of Townsend (Road) |
Speed / Head and Chest Trauma / |
F |
WI |
Yes |
| Oconto County Sheriff's office reported a possible snowmobile fatality. It appeared that the victim was the second snowmbile in a party of six snowmobiles. On a gradual curve, the victim and snowmobile left the trail and struck a tree on the south side of the trail. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 32. |
3/06/05 |
Iron County |
Struck Tree |
26 |
.223 |
Yes |
| |
08:40 |
Town of Oma (Trail) |
Multiple Trauma Injuries to Head & Chest / Alcohol / Speed |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim was traveling south on trail and his snowmobile left the trail and hit a tree. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 33. |
3/12/05 |
Barron County |
Struck Tree |
14 |
.000 |
Yes |
| |
11:11 |
Town of Oak Grove (Trail) |
Head & Chest Trauma / Internal Injuries |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim veered off the trail and did not lock the brakes up until shortly before impact. Locking the brakes shortly before impact caused the machine to skid sideways (fishtail), striking a tree with the right forward part of the cowling and not directly head on. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 34. |
3/13/05 |
Forest County |
Fell Through Ice |
38 |
.271 |
Yes |
| |
01:00 |
Town of Nashville (Lake) |
Hypothermia / Alcohol |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim was reported missing and upon investigation was found to have struck the side of a fence marked with flags and reflectors marking open water created by an aeration system. It appears the victim continued through the fence to the open water where the victim was later found. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 35. |
3/19/05 |
Waushara County |
Collision with Truck |
11 |
.000 |
No |
| |
22:10 |
Village of Springwater (Driveway) |
Speed / Alcohol / Pending |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim was a passenger on a snowmobile with his father and brother. The father was the operator of the snowmobile and noted lights of an oncoming vehicle in the driveway. The operator turned the snowmobile sideways just prior to impact throwing all three from the snowmobile. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 36. |
3/19/05 |
Brown County |
Struck a chunk of concrete |
33 |
NA |
No |
| |
21:10 |
Village of Suamico (Lake) |
Speed / Unfamilier with the area |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim was traveling on the frozen water at about 60 MPH when he struck a large chunk of concrete that was sticking out above the snow and ice. The operator was wearing a helmet but the chin strap was not fastened and was torn from the victims head. The victim was in the hospital with head and internal injuries and passed away on 3/24/05. |
| # |
Date/Time |
Location |
Type & Cause of death - Primary/Secondary |
Age/
Sex |
BAC/ Residency |
Safety Certified / Helmet |
| 37. |
3/29/05 |
Iron County |
Collision with fixed oject. |
39 |
NA |
No |
| |
23:00 |
Town of Knight (Route) |
Speed / ? |
M |
WI |
Yes |
| The victim struck a tree. |
Last Revised: Wednesday December 06 2006
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