Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
January 2011 Fatalities from Snowmobile Accidents in Massachusetts
A second person has lost his life in a snowmobile accident in Massachusetts this year. The latest victim is the 44-year-old Mark Torres, of Methuen, who died from injuries sustained in a snowmobile rollover accident. His snowmobile reportedly rolled over sometime before 8 pm on Friday, Jan 28, on an embankment of the Merrimack River near Lowell Street in Methuen.
According to Methuen police, it appeared that Torres was attempting to climb a snow bank that was too steep when his snowmobile rolled over on top of him.
Torres was alone at the time of the accident. His wife told the police that he had gone out around 5 pm and never returned. His wife rounded up friends and neighbors to search for him. Torres was found at the bottom of a hill near the river’s edge at 8:14 pm.
Torres was pronounced dead shortly after 9 pm at Lawrence General Hospital.
According to his wife, Torres was an experienced snowmobile rider, and was wearing a helmet and gloves at the time of his crash.
The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation.
Snowmobile Accident Statistics
During the winter of 2009-2010, there were 26 snowmobile accidents, one of which was fatal, while this is the second fatal snowmobile accident in Massachusetts since the beginning of the year. The other snowmobile fatality occurred on Jan 15 in Winchendon in which Richard A. Maynard III lost his life.
Also, a 62-year-old Concord, NH man was killed in a snowmobile crash in Gilford, NH last weekend. And a Limerick, ME man died on Jan 28 after his snowmobile hit a moose on a trail west of Houlton, Maine.
According to a FARS report, there were 38 snowmobiles involved in fatal collisions in 2009.
