A man has died after a head-on crash with another snowmobiler in Oro-Medonte.
It happened just before 2 p.m. on Saturday on Line 15 north, between Base Lake and Old Barrie Road.
A 60-year-old man from Innisfil was transferred to hospital and later succumbed to his injuries. The other snowmobile driver, a 22-year-old, also from Innisfil, received minor injuries.
Police are alarmed at how dangerous the sledding season is turning out to be, saying it’s one of the worst in recent memory.
In 2017 alone there have now been 26 snowmobile crashes in the region. Nine of them have been deadly.
“I don’t know what to say, we investigate these all the time and we just hope that people are conscious of their speed and their driving habits on the trails”, says Sgt. Scott Rome with the Barrie OPP.
The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs is warning people to know their surroundings and to slow down
“A trail is a trail. It's not a road and we have a speed limit of 50 kilometres an hour and that’s for a reason,” says Kevin Hagen with the OFSC.
From Midhurst to Bracebridge hundreds of other riders are out on local trails, and with warm temperatures forecast through the long weekend the snow and ice can become unpredictable.
With so many riders out on the trails this weekend police are urging sledders to keep an eye on the speedometer and to respect the changing conditions.
