Warsaw, N.Y. (WBEN) - In what has been deemed an unfortunate accident, a 17-year-old was killed on Sunday in the Town of Warsaw in a snowmobiling crash.
At approximately 12:12 p.m. on Sunday, New York State Police responded to a snowmobile collision on a private trail off Wilder Road.
Based on an investigation, a 2012 Ski Doo traveling South on a marked trail lost control and struck a log pile, ejecting the 17-year-old operator, identified as Steven Gregorie of Varysburg.
"The trail was properly marked, everything was maintained, they were cresting. It looks like the 17-year-old operating a 2012 Ski Doo crested the hill on a trail, and just left the marked trail, striking - underneath some snow - a log pile, or just a bunch of pieces of wood," said New York State Trooper James O'Callaghan with WBEN. "It was very difficult to see due to the snow, and the 17-year-old was ejected from the snowmobile."
Traveling behind him was a 16-year-old friend operating a 2015 Arctic Cat. The 16-year-old also lost control and left the marked trail, striking the same pile of logs and was ejected from his snowmobile.
"Unfortunately, that 2015 Arctic Cat snowmobile operated by the 16-year-old, that snowmobile kept going, struck and rested on the 17-year-old. We believe that is the definitive point in where the injuries for this fatality collision occurred," O'Callaghan noted.
Gregorie was transported by ambulance to the Wyoming County Community Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. O'Callaghan doesn't believe it was the partial ejection or ejection from the snowmobile that was what caused the 17-year-old's death.
Uninvolved operators contacted 9-1-1 and assisted on the scene.
Meanwhile, the 16-year-old had minor injuries.
An autopsy is scheduled by the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office. Police say there were no signs of foul play.
"Everything was in place, no foul play, no intoxication. We even looked at the speed, given the data that we have thus far with our collision reconstruction unit, we don't believe speed was a factor," O'Callaghan said.
While the two teens were properly equipped and did not appear to be riding carelessly, O'Callaghan says safety continues to remain paramount when out on the snowmobile trails.
"The trails are marked for a reason. Once you leave the trail, you're kind of riding at your own risk. You don't know what is underneath that snow. It could be anything, a multitude of things," he said. "We're going to see a high volume of riders out right now, because the ideal conditions exist and are there, but that being said, we just want to remind the operators to wear all your safety equipment, control your speed, watch what you're doing. There's a lot of riders, we have an influx of people coming at you, going in-and-out of the trails. Just be more diligent on that, and don't go faster than your ability controls."