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Two dead after snowmobile collision near Alban


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Two more senseless snowmobile deaths in the French River area

Snowmobile collided with 29-year-old woman near an ice fishing hut

Two people are dead after a snowmobile collision on the Murdock River, near the community of Alban on Saturday, Feb. 6.

Members of the OPP Noelville detachment responded to the incident shortly after 6:30 p.m.

A 42-year-old man was traveling in a snowmobile near some ice fishing huts and collided with a 29-year-old woman, who was near one of the huts.

The operator, James Nathan Wright, and Julie Piotrowski were both pronounced dead at the scene.

Both lived in the municipality of French River.

A one-year-old child was also injured and transported to local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Members of the OPP Technical Traffic Collision Investigations (TTCI) are assisting with the ongoing investigation to determine the cause of the collision.

The OPP are asking anyone who has information regarding this collision to contact the Noelville OPP Detachment at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at www.crimestoppersdm.com or call 1-800-222 TIPS (8477).

http://www.northernlife.ca/mobile/displayarticle.aspx?id=103709

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This is a terrible tragedy. My condolences to the families involved. I just can't imagine going through a situation like this.

I don't know all the particulars of this incident however, I know from personal experience that you can come up on a fish hut in the dark very quickly without knowing it is there. Since experiencing that situation, I believe there should be law that all fish huts have a strip of reflective tape around them 1/2 way up. At least if you see the reflective, you can steer well clear and hopefully away from people that might be near the huts. $25.00 of tape would seem to me to be a no brainer.

I know it won't help the friends and relatives living this tragedy but it might save the same from happening to someone else.

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This is a terrible tragedy. My condolences to the families involved. I just can't imagine going through a situation like this.

I don't know all the particulars of this incident however, I know from personal experience that you can come up on a fish hut in the dark very quickly without knowing it is there. Since experiencing that situation, I believe there should be law that all fish huts have a strip of reflective tape around them 1/2 way up. At least if you see the reflective, you can steer well clear and hopefully away from people that might be near the huts. $25.00 of tape would seem to me to be a no brainer.

I know it won't help the friends and relatives living this tragedy but it might save the same from happening to someone else.

 

the tape would indeed help but it sure would seem the snowmobiler was riding too fast for the visibility of his headlight range

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There are many 'stupid' laws on the books but I really think as some others do that there should be some reflective material on all sides of a hut. This will bring on a new set of requirements for such a reflector but so be it.   Pick an automotive standard and go with it .Many huts are a light color and some  even aluminum wrapped..  My brother took the side out of a shack 40 years ago in the dark and in a heavy snow storm  on a 18 HP sled. Over driving his headlight for sure. Good reflectors now show up hundreds of feet away. I  thought it was law to mark a fishing  hole in the ice but would make more sense in today's world to mark the hut .

RW

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I've never ridden on Simcoe, but Scugog is scary @ night what w/ the huts (lot's of aluminum wrapped too) & tire ruts in the snow. Not fun when it's snowing, just poke along until you get to the causeway.

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There are many 'stupid' laws on the books but I really think as some others do that there should be some reflective material on all sides of a hut. This will bring on a new set of requirements for such a reflector but so be it.   Pick an automotive standard and go with it .Many huts are a light color and some  even aluminum wrapped..  My brother took the side out of a shack 40 years ago in the dark and in a heavy snow storm  on a 18 HP sled. Over driving his headlight for sure. Good reflectors now show up hundreds of feet away. I  thought it was law to mark a fishing  hole in the ice but would make more sense in today's world to mark the hut .

RW

I think the alternating 12" red/white reflective that is on the back of semi trailers would be a good choice as it is extremely reflective and can be purchased in rolls at a reasonable price.
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the tape would indeed help but it sure would seem the snowmobiler was riding too fast for the visibility of his headlight range

You are likely correct however I believe in most cases sledders would steer well clear if they saw reflective markings in the headlight and the reflective would be the first thing you would see, well ahead of reaching the hut although it wouldn't help much if it was snowing heavily.

I have never been ice fishing but if I was sitting in a hut, I think I would be nervous everytime I heard a sled coming.

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Reports on CTV Sudbury tonight say that the female victim was holding a radar gun.

 

http://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=804555

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Reminiscent of a fatality several years ago on the plowed strip @ the north end of Scugog.

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Reminiscent of a fatality several years ago on the plowed strip @ the north end of Scugog.

Yes,and i rode with those two guys.

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Here's an update

 

Tragic snowmobile deaths occur during radar runs

By: Chris Dawson - BayToday.ca

 | Feb 08, 2016 - 4:00 PM |
 
 

The Noelville OPP confirmed to BayToday.ca that two fatalities on the Murdoch River occurred during a radar run on the body of water near Alban Saturday night around 6:30 p.m. File photo

 

The Noelville OPP confirmed to BayToday.ca that two fatalities on the Murdoch River occurred during a radar run on the body of water near Alban Saturday night around 6:30 p.m.

“The investigation is moving forward, we have determined that speed and visibility were contributing factors,” stated OPP Constable Andre Bisson Monday afternoon.

“We can also confirm that a speed measuring device was on site and being used to measure the speeds of snowmobiles.”

OPP say a single snowmobile, being operated by a 42-year-old man, was travelling near some ice fishing huts and hit a 29-year-old woman that was standing near one of the huts.

Both were fatally injured.

A one-year-old child was also injured and taken to the local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The sled operator James Nathan Wright, age 42, and Julie Piotrowski, age 29, were both pronounced dead at the scene. 

“From what we can understand through the investigation is that it was a competition, people were having their machines tested against the personal radar and from there all it adds is different components that are attributed to a complete and thorough investigation,” said Bisson. 

OPP say a reconstruction of the collision has not yet been completed by the investigating team. 

“We understand that people want to test out their machines and sometimes they do by means of a radar device but in doing so they also have to be cognizant of the fact at those high rates of speeds that anything can go wrong,” warned Bisson.

Police would not confirm where Piotrowski was when the collision happened, or how far away from the racers she was, but its believed she was a spectator when the unthinkable collision occurred.

“They (radar runs) are usually done in a very controlled environment where the tracks are very flat and secure and if there are any spectators they are actually very far from the actual action itself.”   

Bisson adds that speed limits of 50 km/h are posted on area trails but not on waterways.  However, he reminds snowmobile enthusiasts that they can face serious speeding infractions on frozen bodies of water.

“Lakes and rivers don’t have posted speed limits but it is expected underneath the act that speeds are such that the driver operates it safely and doesn’t endanger anyone,” he said.  

“It can go from a speeding offence to a careless offence and all the way to a dangerous driving offence through the criminal code of Canada.”

 

http://www.northernlife.ca/news/policeandCourt/2016/02/08-snowmobile-fatality-alban-sudbury.aspx?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

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radar run at 630 PM WTF????

 

common sense would dictate do this during the middle of the day away from huts

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