Several Riders Injured In Multiple Snowmobile Crashes

It was a rough day on Maine's snowmobile trails, when several people were injured in multiple crashes.

In T2R7 WELS, otherwise known as Soldiertown Township, a complex crash injured four riders. At around 11:00 Friday morning, two snowmobiles traveling in opposite directions hit each other nearly head-on, when the riders were negotiating a turn on the ITS trail. A 15-year-old male from Lancaster, Massachusetts was driving north when his sled collided with 46-year-old Michael Byram from Hermon. The 15-year-old sustained a broken arm and possible concussion. Byram had a broken collarbone and shoulder.

The teen was riding with several others, who were driving behind him. Two of the riders, 49-year-old Robert Buzak and his 14-year-old son of Ayer, Massachusetts, collided with trees while trying to avoid the initial crash. Robert had minor injuries while his son suffered a broken shoulder and possible back injuries. Two other riders, who avoided the accident, drove to gain phone reception and call for help. It took rescue workers nearly an hour-and-a-half to snowmobile to the scene of the crash. By that time, Byram had started to show signs of hypothermia. All riders involved were wearing helmets and alcohol was not believed to have been involved. Speed, however, appears to have been a contributing factor.

In a separate incident in Northern Franklin County, a Rhode Island man sustained serious injuries to his hip and pelvis when he lost control of his sled and struck a rock. 57-year-old John Paquin of Kingstown, Rhode Island was snowmobiling with a group that started in a Rangeley area when he failed to negotiate a curve in the trail, hit the rock, and was thrown from the sled. Paquin was able to operate the snowmobile to Route 16, with the assistance of friends, where the Warden Service was notified at around 2:00 on Friday afternoon. Game Wardens say rider inexperience appears to have contributed to the crash.