LOWVILLE, New York (WWNY) – With at least five people killed in snowmobile crashes in Lewis County since the first of the year, Sheriff Mike Carpinelli blames a toxic mix of speed, alcohol and unfamiliarity with the county’s trails.
Most of the crashes took place late at night – for example, last Thursday, a Massachusetts man riding at midnight didn’t make a curve and hit a stand of trees. Then, last Friday, two people – one from Canandaigua and one from New Jersey – died when their sleds collided head-on at 12:45 AM.
“Bigger machines, unfamiliarity with some of the trail system with the newer riders, and then alcohol involvement, and just plain speed, plain old speed,” Carpinelli told 7 News this week.
“That’s no good and that’s what we’re seeing more often.”
The sheriff said today’s snowmobiles are capable of going very fast.
“Just because a machine can go 120 miles an hour, doesn’t mean come to Lewis County and turn it into a 120 mile an hour speedway,” he said.
On top of that, the riders who end up crashing are often riding alone, after dark.
“You have these lone riders out there by themselves. That’s what’s occured so far, these fatalities, they weren’t riding with a group, they were riding by themselves,” the sheriff said.
Carpinelli’s department can put between four and six deputies out on the trails when needed. And he has a message for people who come to Lewis County to snowmobile: “It’s a great place to come to and ride, but you’ve got to slow down. If you’re gonna have an alcoholic beverage, you might want to have less.
“That’s it – just watch your speed and be personally accountable.”
Copyright 2022 WWNY. All rights reserved.
