ROCK RIVER TWP., Mich. (WWJ/AP) - Authorities have identified two people killed when their snowmobiles collided on a trail in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
The Alger County Sheriff's Office said 21-year-old Douglas Show of Mill Run, Pennsylvania, and 54-year-old John Shadian of Kenosha, Wisconsin, died Monday night in Rock River Township, which is southeast of Marquette.
Show and Shadian crashed head-on, at around 9:30 p.m. Monday, on Trail #8, located around about one mile north of Samuelson Road.
Both were thrown from their snowmobiles and were pronounced dead at the scene.
An investigation revealed that "excessive speed" was believed to be the cause of the accident, according to the sheriff's office.
With snowmobiling deaths on the rise in Michigan, the state DNR has been partnering with the Michigan Snowmobile Association and others on a “Ride Right” safety campaign.
“This recent rash of deadly crashes illustrates the critical importance of snowmobile safety,” said Lt. Ryan Aho, a DNR district law supervisor in Marquette. “Many fatalities occur because of drinking and driving, high speed or carelessness, all of which are preventable actions.”
Get more tips and information about safe snowmobiling in Michigan at this link.